tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92949862024-03-08T01:24:30.637-05:00All Things LonghornPB at BONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04651472154167539754noreply@blogger.comBlogger507125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294986.post-1163047430558517702006-11-08T23:43:00.000-05:002007-11-06T15:34:35.812-05:00Longhorns improve to 8-2 with win over Okie State8-2 and on the cusp of a BCS Bowl bid.PB at BONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04651472154167539754noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294986.post-1131999096137901502005-11-14T15:09:00.000-05:002005-11-16T12:22:11.056-05:00HornsBlog has MOVEDPlease visit our new URL at <a href="http://www.burntorangenation.com"><span style="font-size:130%;">Burnt Orange Nation</span></a>.<br /><br />If you run a website or blog that was linking to us previously, we would appreciate it tremendously if you'd update your link to reflect our new URL.<br /><br />Thanks to everyone who has been visiting us on this site, and we'll look forward to seeing you on the new site. We think you'll like the many improvements as we get everything going on the new site.PB at BONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04651472154167539754noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294986.post-1131891427224158802005-11-13T09:16:00.000-05:002005-11-13T09:17:07.326-05:00Kansas SummaryThe summary for the Kansas game is up at www.burntorangenation.com. Direct link <a href="http://www.burntorangenation.com">click here.</a>PB at BONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04651472154167539754noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294986.post-1131852087671510042005-11-12T22:15:00.000-05:002005-11-12T22:21:27.783-05:00Texas 66 Kansas 14<span style="font-size:85%;">It turns out that either The Fighting Manginos of Kansas had an overrated defense or Texas has a ridiculously good offense. It was probably a mixture of both, as Texas moved the ball at will against the overmatched Jayhawks. The Horns amassed 336 yards on the ground and 289 through the air, including 4 Vince Young TD tosses. Young's Heisman rival, Reggie Bush, had only 75 yards on 16 carries. Much, much more on the huge Texas victory, the Heisman trophy race, and the rest of the college football world to come this week on All Things Longhorn.<br /><br />But the biggest news of all for us on this blog is that we're finally beginning our migration over to the Sports Blog Nation. In fact, the brand new site is UP AND RUNNING now over at www.burntorangenation.com. We're still developing a few different things for the new site, but go ahead and take a look and bookmark the new site now. And offer us your feedback on the new look.<br />--PB--</span>PB at BONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04651472154167539754noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294986.post-1131738341176733492005-11-11T14:42:00.000-05:002005-11-11T14:45:41.180-05:00Hook 'Em Early<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4403/607/1600/BabyT.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4403/607/320/BabyT.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Now you can start raising your baby Longhorn the right way, as spelled out in the Baby Longhorn DVD! Because it's <em>never</em> too early to start brainwashing them....</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Oh man. I got this in my email inbox and didn't know what to do. This is the price we pay for free markets, I suppose.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">I'm not sure which is worse--the video itself, or the 10,000 parents that will buy it.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">--PB--</span>PB at BONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04651472154167539754noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294986.post-1131731537105930222005-11-11T12:45:00.000-05:002005-11-11T12:53:21.120-05:00Lovin' Lovell<span style="font-size:85%;">Lovell Pinkney, the talented but troubled wide receiver at Texas in the early 1990s, is repaying the University for all that it gave him. Reports say that Pinkney is a close friend of star recruit Kevin Durant and urged him to choose Texas, citing how much fun Pinkney had back in the day.<br /><br />This is undoubtedly true. My father had Pinkney in one of his sociology classes back then and said the guy was all party, no school. Hey—live and let live. Fine by us. Though he did squander his chances at a pro career with his lack of seriousness. Still, we’re especially pleased that he had a good time now that it’s helping Rick Barnes land stud recruits.<br /><br />Let’s just hope the next star recruit isn’t a friend of Chris Simms. The reviews may not be as favorable.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">--PB--</span>PB at BONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04651472154167539754noreply@blogger.com45tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294986.post-1131656706642613522005-11-10T15:15:00.000-05:002005-11-10T16:05:06.756-05:00Big 12 news and notes<span style="font-size:85%;">Some news and notes from around the Big 12:<br /><br />• Following Texas A&M’s 52-17 blowout loss to Texas Tech last Saturday, the Aggies experienced a whole new level of humiliation, as raucous Raider fans chanted “Worse than Bay-lor!” at the Aggies as they departed the field. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">• Speaking of the unglued Aggies, head coach Dennis Francione has decided his time is better spent complaining about his team’s schedule than doing something, like, improving his team. Franchione recently had a discussion with Big 12 officials in which he complained that the Aggies closing schedule was too tough. The Aggies last three games this year are at Texas Tech, at Oklahoma, and versus Texas. Someone might want to tell Coach Fran that when you lose 42-14 at home against Iowa State, it doesn’t matter who you play, or when.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">• Don’t look now, but Texas Tech may be BCS bound. Okay, it’s a long shot, but that it’s a possibility is credit to Mike Leach and the Red Raiders this year. Tech gets hammered with the “overrated” stamp perhaps more than any other team in the country, but close Big 12 watchers know this team is no pushover. Don’t believe me? Ask California how they enjoyed playing Tech in a bowl last year.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">• Texas’ 16 game winning streak is the longest since they won 30 in a row during 1968-1970, winning two national titles along the way<br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">• Oklahoma is finally getting healthy, and experienced. Sooner players have combined to miss 31 games because of injuries this season. In the Sooners’ national championship season in 2000, no starter missed a game because of an injury. The Sooners have also played 12 freshmen this season, including five who have started at least one game. They’re re-loading, Horns fans.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">• Coach Fran isn’t the only coach saying “I don’t know” when asked what’s wrong with his team. Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel, dangerously similar in his ineptitude to his hoops counterpart Quinn Snyder, had no answers for his team’s recent struggles either. Even when Texas plays exceptionally well, I can tell you what we’re doing wrong. Those words should never come out of a coaches mouth.<br />--PB-- </span>PB at BONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04651472154167539754noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294986.post-1131651917012544032005-11-10T14:40:00.000-05:002005-11-10T14:58:46.503-05:00Week 11 Picks: SEC Showdown Edition<span style="font-size:85%;">Another week, another crack at the picks. ATL did reasonably well last week, going 4-3 with our group picks. This week’s guest pickers are loyal readers Adam Sahyouni and </span><a href="http://www.jasonmayer.net/"><span style="font-size:85%;">Jason Mayer</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">, both University of Texas alums and college football junkies.<br /><br /></span><table border="5"><tbody><span style="font-size:180%;"><strong></strong></span><span style="font-size:180%;"><strong>Top Too Much Maroon Game</strong></span></tbody><tbody><tr><th>Name</th><th>Texas A&M +13 @ Oklahoma</th><th>Pick</th></tr> <tr><td>PB</td><td>The Aggies are sad. OU’s offense improving.</td><td>OU</td></tr><tr><td>AW</td><td>Another A&M loss towards a losing season. Take the points though.</td><td>Texas A&M</td></tr><tr><td>TR</td><td>This much sucking indicates a category 6 hurricane will hit Norman this weekend. As bad as A&M is, OU isn’t blowing anyone out with that offense. Give me the points.</td><td>Texas A&M</td></tr><tr><td>AS</td><td>I will quote a comment made by Link on the Blog this week “I want the stadium to implode”</td><td>OU</td></tr><tr><td>JM</td><td>Remember when teams tore down goalposts for beating A&M?</td><td>OU</td></tr><tr><td>Consensus</td><td><center>3 votes to 2</center></td><td>OU</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table border="5"><tbody></tbody><caption align="top"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Top Define Yourself Game</span></strong></caption><tbody><tr><th>Name</th><th>Auburn +3 @ Georgia</th><th>Pick</th></tr> <tr><td>PB</td><td>I like the improving Tigers, but Georgia is subtly dominating. They’ll win this game by a TD or more.</td><td>Georgia</td></tr><tr><td>AW</td><td>With Shockley back, I have to go with the Dawgs.</td><td>Georgia</td></tr><tr><td>TR</td><td>Seems like the spread would be bigger. Since it’s not, I think something’s brewing here.</td><td>Auburn</td></tr><br /><tr><td>AS</td><td>Shockley is back</td><td>Georgia</td></tr><tr><td>JM</td><td>Shockley is back; Bulldogs would be undefeated if he’d been healthy.</td><td>Georgia</td></tr><tr><td>Consensus</td><td><center>4 votes to 1</center></td><td>Georgia</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table border="5"><tbody></tbody><caption align="top"><span style="font-size:180%;"><strong>Top Big 11 Game</strong></span></caption><tbody><tr><th>Name</th><th>Northwestern +18 @ Ohio State</th><th>Pick</th></tr> <tr><td>PB</td><td>Troy Smith is #4 in the country in passing efficiency. Whoa.</td><td>Ohio State</td></tr><tr><td>AW</td><td>Tressel has started to teach offense in Columbus and Troy Smith is improving. OSU wins.</td><td>Northwestern</td></tr><tr><td>TR</td><td>Northwestern offense is good. It’s season-low in points came at Michigan (17), so I think they can match that here. Add in the 18-point spread, and I see them covering.</td><td>Northwestern</td></tr><tr><td>AS</td><td>Brett has a very long day against the OSU defense </td><td>Ohio State</td></tr><tr><td>JM</td><td>The NU offense has shown weakness the last two weeks and the Buckeye defense is better than Michigan & Iowa</td><td>Ohio State</td></tr><tr><td>Consensus</td><td><center>3 votes to 2</center></td><td>Ohio State</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table border="5"><tbody></tbody><caption align="top"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Top Huge Line Game</span></strong></caption><tbody><tr><th>Name</th><th>Kansas +34 @ Texas</th><th>Pick</th></tr> <tr><td>PB</td><td>Senioritis keeps the score under the spread.</td><td>Kansas</td></tr><tr><td>AW</td><td>Senior Day. The Horns are 8-1 against the spread. VY keeps rollng.</td><td>Texas</td></tr><tr><td>TR</td><td>Senior day = UT big, 52-13. </td><td>Horns House</td></tr><tr><td>AS</td><td>I honestly have no idea here. Will we beat them? Of course. The Question is how bad did the fat man piss the Horns off.</td><td>Kansas</td></tr><tr><td>JM</td><td>It might be hard to cover the spread when all your sixth string senior walk-ons are playing.</td><td>Kansas</td></tr><tr><td>Consensus</td><td><center>3 votes to 2</center></td><td>Kansas</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table border="5"><tbody></tbody><caption align="top"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Top SEC Game</span></strong></caption><tbody><tr><th>Name</th><th>LSU -3 @ Alabama</th><th>Pick</th></tr> <tr><td>PB</td><td>Bama defense will suffocate Les Miles. Bama offense gets on the board to win a squeaker, 17-13.</td><td>Bama</td></tr><tr><td>AW</td><td>This line looks wrong. Bama is undefeated and at home. Vegas has it right.</td><td>LSU</td></tr><tr><td>TR</td><td>LSU rolls the tide by 14+.</td><td>Geaux Tigers</td></tr><tr><td>AS</td><td>Not being able to score TD’s catches up this week </td><td>LSU</td></tr><tr><td>JM</td><td>Alabama is finally exposed. As long as LSU can score 10 points.</td><td>LSU</td></tr><tr><td>Consensus</td><td><center>4 votes to 1</center></td><td>LSU</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table border="5"><tbody></tbody><caption align="top"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Top Potential Rose Bowl Wrecking Game</span></strong></caption><tbody><tr><th>Name</th><th>USC -19 @ California</th><th>Pick</th></tr> <tr><td>PB</td><td>Cal is no match for the Trojans. This line should be higher. Farm bet of the week.</td><td>USC</td></tr><tr><td>AW</td><td>Last loss was at Cal two years ago. Won’t happen again but Cal hangs tough.</td><td>Cal</td></tr><tr><td>TR</td><td>I’m through rooting for USC to meet us in the Rose Bowl. Their D is a joke. Plus, I’d sure like to avenge the 1991 Cotton Bowl.</td><td>Cal</td></tr><tr><td>AS</td><td>As much as I would like to go the other way, USC puts on a clinic. Bet the HOUSE.</td><td>USC</td></tr><tr><td>JM</td><td>USC is good. Cal is not. This year won’t be close.</td><td>USC</td></tr><tr><td>Consensus</td><td><center>3 votes to 2</center></td><td>USC</td></tr></tbody></table>PB at BONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04651472154167539754noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294986.post-1131645715847036662005-11-10T12:58:00.000-05:002005-11-10T13:01:55.966-05:00Departing Longhorns<span style="font-size:85%;">As we approach Senior Day in Austin this Saturday, it’s time to take a look at the seniors that will depart the team after this season:<br /><br /><strong>Will Allen (OL)</strong><br />Steven Andrade* (DE)<br />Brian Carter (WR)<br />Xang Chareunsab* (WR)<br />Mike Garcia (OL)<br /><strong>Cedric Griffin (CB)</strong><br /><strong>Ahmard Hall (FB)</strong><br />Eric Hall (DE)<br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Michael Huff (S)<br /></strong>Kalen Jakes (DE)Braden Johnson (LB)<br />Matt Logan* (WR)<br /><strong>Richmond McGee (P/PK)</strong><br />Karim Meijer (DB)<br />Matt Nordgren (QB)<br />Jason Perez* (LB)<br />Kyle Phillips* (PK)<br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>David Pino (PK)<br /></strong>Brad Poronsky* (OL)<br />Kirby Portley* (TE)<br />James Ray* (DB)<br /><strong>Nick Schroeder (Deep Snapper)</strong><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Jonathan Scott (OL)<br /></strong>Cody Stavig* (DB)<br />Anthony Strong* (WR)<br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>David Thomas (TE)<br /></strong>William Winston (OL)<br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Rodrique Wright (DT)<br /></strong>Jerren Wight* (DB)<br /><br />*Denotes non-scholarship player</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">-Starters in <strong>bold</strong><br /><br />Texas will sorely miss the departing offensive linemen, Michael Huff, Ced Griffin, Rodrique Wright, and David Thomas. Obviously, the Horns will be featuring some new kickers next year as well, as both David Pino and Richmond McGee are departing.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">--PB--</span>PB at BONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04651472154167539754noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294986.post-1131640320964170012005-11-10T11:28:00.000-05:002005-11-10T11:47:43.166-05:00Getting To Know You: Jayhawk Edition<span style="font-size:85%;">Media guides are fun… For this edition, we’ll pull a few factoids from the KU media guide and offer comments.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><u>Rush defense: The Kansas rush defense ranks first in the nation, allowing just 64 yards per game on the year. Seven times this season the KU defense has surrendered less than 100 rushing yards to an opponent (70 vs Florida Atlantic, 38 vs Louisian Tech, 47 at Texas Tech, 35 at Kansas State, 96 vs Oklahoma, 33 vs Missouri, 21 vs Nebraska.<br /></u><br />Hmmm… That makes me wonder if those teams are any good at running the ball. Let’s check their national ranks in rushing offense.<br /><br />Louisiana Tech is ranked 58th in rushing offense, Oklahoma 47th, Texas Tech 98th, Nebraska 110th, Missouri 23rd, Kansas State 94th, and Florida Atlantic 105th. And the Jayhawks played Oklahoma when Peterson was injured—he only had 5 rushes in the game.<br /><br />I’m certain the Kansas defense is solid, but before we coronate them as rushing defenders of the year, let’s bear in mind that they’ve been facing some pretty miserable rushing teams. The only impressive game is the domination of Missouri and Brad Smith.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><u>First and Ten: Last Saturday the Jayhawks held Nebraska to seven first downs.<br /></u><br />This says more about how far Nebraska has fallen than how good the Jayhawks have been. The Cornhuskers now rank 108th in the nation in total offense. Folks, it’s tough to be that inept.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><u>Inside the numbers: In its two consecutive wins, KU averaged 363 total yards while holding opponents to an average of 159 yards per game.<br /></u><br />KU’s last two opponents? The aforementioned Division II Cornhuskers and inconsistent Missouri Tigers. Again, while this Jayhawk defensive unit deserves praise, I’m not ready to believe that they have a chance at shutting down Texas.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><u>All five of Kansas’ victories have come in Lawrence this year.<br /></u><br />Someone forgot to tell Mark Mangino that this one’s being played in Austin this year.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><u>A Kansas WIN would…<br />Be the team’s first victory against Texas since the 1938 season, and snap a string of five straight wins by the Longhorns… Be KU’s first-ever win in Texas-Memorial Stadium… Give Mark Mangino his 18th career win as head coach, making his overall record 18-28.<br /></u><br />I know I’m pounding on a dead horse here, but whatever. Mangino picked this fight. I can’t believe I’m fired up to beat the crap out of Kansas. You’d think this were a basketball game. Just goes to show what a dumb thing it is for Mangino to be giving the Horns bulletin board material.<br /><br />Anyway, the whole KU media guide is pretty depressing. It’s mostly filled with neat factoids about the defense and how much better they are than in any previous year, which of course just belies the fact of how miserable they’ve always been. Not that I blame them—that’s what media guides are supposed to do. The Texas media guide reads like a cheerleaders guide to 100+ years of beating the hell out of Rice and Baylor.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://hornsblog.blogspot.com/2005/11/kansas-texas-preview.html" target="blank"><span style="font-size:85%;">I’m on record predicting a 41-10 Horns victory</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">, with Kansas getting some late garbage score while our fourth string seniors get some fourth quarter action in their last game. Time for the readers to weigh in on game predictions. What will be the final score of the game? And how many rushing yards will Texas gain against the “vaunted” Kansas rushing defense? If you predict Texas’ exact rushing yards total, we’ll give you a free t-shirt of your choice from the Co-Op. To be eligible, you must include your <strong>full name and email</strong> in the comment section when you post your prediction.<br />--PB-- </span>PB at BONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04651472154167539754noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294986.post-1131636832420464622005-11-10T10:33:00.000-05:002005-11-10T10:33:52.423-05:00Remarkable Vince Young Stat of the Day<span style="font-size:85%;">Vince Young needs just 145 yards rushing to become only the fifth player in NCAA history to rush for 3,000 yards and pass for 5,000 yards.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">--PB--</span>PB at BONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04651472154167539754noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294986.post-1131636682740442262005-11-10T10:28:00.000-05:002005-11-10T10:31:22.856-05:00Triple Threat<span style="font-size:85%;">Thanks to Michael Holt for first calling our attention to this: Sportsbook.com has posted a unique bet on Texas winning both the football and basketball national championships. The Horns, #2 in the BCS football standings and #2 in the preseason AP basketball poll, are at 35-1 to hold win both titles. (See the press release about the bet </span><a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/11-08-2005/0004211197&EDATE=" target="blank"><span style="font-size:85%;">here</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">.) No school has ever won the football and basketball championships in the same year.<br /><br />And let's not forget that the Horns already won this year's baseball championship. </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">--PB--</span>PB at BONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04651472154167539754noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294986.post-1131601666254472962005-11-10T00:45:00.000-05:002005-11-10T00:47:46.460-05:00Texas completes second pre-season rout<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">Texas routed Lenoir-Rhyne </span><a href="http://www.texassports.com/index.php?s=&url_channel_id=16&url_article_id=2750&url_subchannel_id=&change_well_id=2"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">97-36</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"> to complete their pre-season schedule. The Division II school is the alma mater of Rick Barnes. The Horns looked sloppy early in the first half before rolling, especially in the second half. The defense was very impressive holding the Bears to just 30% shooting and forcing 29 turnovers. Buckman and Aldridge each had double-doubles. Both were able to consistently establish low post position deep in the paint and just wait for the feeds from Texas guards. The Horns dominated all the statistical categories against the slower and shorter competition. Rebounds 41-30, assists 17-7, points in the paint 44-16, and points off turnovers 39-4.<br /><br />This was a total mismatch from the opening tip. Give credit to Barnes and his staff for keeping the players motivated throughout. Lenoir-Rhyne coach John Lentz said after the game, “They are much better than they were last year.” I think so too, but we will find out for sure when Texas opens the regular season on Tuesday in the first round of the Guardians Classic against Southern.<br />--AW--</span>AWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15889145826267990294noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294986.post-1131600504965519792005-11-10T00:28:00.000-05:002005-11-10T00:28:25.090-05:00Barnes Inks Top Class<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">Rick Barnes signed one of the </span><a href="http://www.texassports.com/index.php?s=&url_channel_id=16&url_article_id=2743&url_subchannel_id=&change_well_id=2"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">nation’s top classes</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"> on Wednesday. Five players signed to play with the Horns next season. A sixth player, DJ Augustin, will sign on Thursday. He waited one day to sign on his birthday. Texas’ class is rated as the nation’s fifth best by Rivals.com and seventh best by Scout.com.<br /><br />The class is led by </span><a href="http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&c=1&nid=1111705"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">Kevin Durant</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"> (6’9,200) a perimeter forward with NBA skills from Maryland. Durant is the rated as the second best high school prospect in the country. Before this year, Durant would have likely left for the NBA. Durant picked Texas over Connecticut and North Carolina. Barnes will land DJ Augustin tomorrow. </span><a href="http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=75&amp;p=8&c=1&nid=1112124"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">Augustin</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"> (6’1”,170) follows in the footsteps of TJ Ford and Daniel Gibson as top point guards to sign for Barnes. Augustin is currently playing in the Houston area after evacuating Louisiana because of Hurricane Katrina. Augustin could be asked to contribute quickly if Gibson bolts to the pros. Also signing on Wednesday were </span><a href="http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&c=1&nid=1977373"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">Dexter Pittman</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"> (6’10”,320), </span><a href="http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=75&amp;amp;p=8&c=1&nid=2059027"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">Matt Hill</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"> (6’10”,220), </span><a href="http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&c=1&nid=1476943"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">Harrison Smith</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"> (6’3”,185), and </span><a href="http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=75&amp;amp;p=8&c=1&nid=1476943"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">Justin Mason</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"> (6’3”,175). Pittman and Hill will be bangers on the low blocks. Like Augustin, both will grab minutes next season with Buckman and likely Aldridge departing. Smith is a former high school teammate of Daniel Gibson and backcourt starter on their state championship team who uses his strength and athleticism to get to the rim. Mason is known as a gym rat who can play both guard positions.<br /><br />This is an extremely impressive class. Before Rick Barnes, Texas did not steal recruits from North Carolina and Connecticut. Now, we regularly land McDonald’s All Americans and compete for the best players in the country. High school players watched TJ Ford lead Texas to the Final Four. They watched Gibson and Aldridge star last year as freshman and they see our top 2 pre season rankings. Great things are happening at DKR and our road to the Rose Bowl, but let’s not forget the great things that Rick Barnes and the men’s basketball team are accomplishing. Great coaches can make good teams champions, but the talent has to be there too. Texas is now landing top talent every year. And Barnes has the skills to make us great. Can cutting down the nets be that far away?<br />--AW--<br /></span>AWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15889145826267990294noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294986.post-1131562971986812802005-11-09T13:56:00.000-05:002005-11-09T14:14:41.240-05:00Point, Counterpoint: Saturday's Psychological Edge<span style="font-size:85%;">We've argued that Mark Mangino's BCS conspiracy rantings, coupled with his comments that KU outplayed and outcoached the Horns, gave Texas a psychological edge. Our reasoning is that Kansas' best hope for beating Texas this year, given the ridiculous talent gap, is catching Texas flat. Such "bulletin board material" merely angers Goliath; not a good idea.<br /><br />Our friendly rivals at the Kansas </span><a href="http://www.phogblog.com" target="blank"><span style="font-size:85%;">Phog Blog</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">, not surprisingly, offer a different take on the psychological battle:<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>The first time in history in which the previous year’s winner is seeking revenge. Vince Young says Mangino disrespected him and his coaches by pointing out that UT was outplayed and out-coached last year. (News flash: the next time Mack Brown out-coaches anyone will be the first time. And a 20+ point favorite having to rely on a dishonest call to defeat a 4-7 team? If that’s not being outplayed, what is?) Young says the Longhorns intend to dominate the game to teach Mangino a lesson.<br /></em><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>The good news is that Young’s whining means either that UT (a) is not taking KU seriously and grasping at straws for artificial motivation that will disappear after the first few plays; or (b) is seriously focused on Mangino—which is a distraction—rather than focusing on playing football.<br /></em><br /><em>Either way, KU has the psychological advantage.</em><br /><em></em><br />Okay readers, it's on you now. Offer your own analysis on this topic of debate. Is the Mark Mangino blathering a distraction, or positive motivation, for Texas this Saturday?<br />--PB-- </span>PB at BONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04651472154167539754noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294986.post-1131553483305387322005-11-09T11:22:00.000-05:002005-11-09T11:26:06.060-05:00From the Mail Bag<span style="font-size:85%;">A dive in to the mail bag provides us with this question from loyal reader (and </span><a href="http://crosscyed.blogspot.com" target="blank"><span style="font-size:85%;">Iowa State blogger</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">) Alex Ernst:<br /><br /><em>I was wondering your thoughts on this, but you guys tend to think Vince is unstoppable. Are there any defenses out there that you could see giving him trouble? I mean, just slowing down his running game. I was wondering after Iowa State completely shut down Smith and McNeal on the ground, if you thought they could hold Young somewhat in check and make him throw the ball more.</em><br /><br />Hey Alex – thanks for the question. If you’re wondering whether a team can hold Young’s running in check and force him to throw, the answer is yes. After the first quarter, Ohio State did an excellent job of keying in on Vince Young and making him throw. But that’s the trouble Texas opponents’ have been facing this year. The guy can throw. Young is ranked third in the nation in passing efficiency and has become such a good passer that you really can’t afford to solely key in on stopping his runs. It’s a no-win situation.<br /><br />Vince Young’s improvements in the passing game are the single biggest reason why Texas is a legitimate national title contender. The offense can beat you so many ways this year.<br /><br />Got a question for the ATL authors? Send them an </span><a href="mailto:peterbean@gmail.com"><span style="font-size:85%;">email</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">.<br />--PB-- </span>PB at BONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04651472154167539754noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294986.post-1131552735344385262005-11-09T11:07:00.000-05:002005-11-09T14:50:51.066-05:00How TV ads get made<span style="font-size:85%;">I haven’t the foggiest idea what teams are in this highlight, or how it in any way relates to the University of Texas, but it’s blog-worthy, that’s for sure. Loyal reader Christian Loew sent in </span><a href="http://jjhuddle.com/playerfilm/Cancila__Kick___WMV.wmv" target="blank"><span style="font-size:85%;">this video clip</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> to us last night, and we can’t pass up sharing it with all of you.<br /><br />Watch the clip and then let me know if you’re thinking what I’m thinking… Yeah, thought so. This has Wheaties ad written all over it. “Better eat your Wheaties!”<br />--PB-- </span>PB at BONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04651472154167539754noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294986.post-1131551789381151672005-11-09T10:54:00.000-05:002005-11-09T13:10:56.120-05:00Kansas @ Texas Preview<span style="font-size:85%;">Kansas is in a much better spot than Baylor was last week, when Texas was knee deep in an increasingly close battle among Rose Bowl suitors. Now that Virginia Tech has been defeated, Texas sits in a far more comfortable position, needing only to win out for a Rose Bowl berth.<br /><br />So, while Texas was playing for style points last week, focused intently on completely demolishing the Bears, one could argue that Texas is in perfect position for a letdown game. If Texas were playing the improved Jayhawks on the road, I might buy in to that a bit. The reality is, though, that this game is a home game and, more importantly, it’s senior day. Saturday’s game will be the last game in Austin for some thirty Longhorns, and I don’t see Texas being flat for this one at all.<br /><br />Add in the fact that Kansas gave Texas a serious scare last year, and the likelihood of a letdown decreases further. If we can eliminate the potential letdown factor from the equation, how does this game break down?<br /><br />It’s a pretty simple one, actually. All Texas has to do is have a solid offensive day and they’ll win. They don’t need to perfect, or even great—just good. Kansas’ biggest problem in this game is that their offense is pretty challenged. They rank 8th in the conference in rushing, 10th in passing, and 11th in total offense. That’s not a recipe for success against Texas. To beat the Longhorns, you’ve got to be able to score a lot. You aren’t going to beat Texas 10-7 any more than anyone’s going to beat USC by that score. The team that hands Texas or USC its first loss is going to do so with a big offensive game. Kansas can’t do that.<br /><br />With that said, the Jayhawks defense does deserve some praise here. They rank first in the nation in rushing defense, 37th in passing defense, and 5th in total defense. They only allow 18 points per game. Their coach, big Mark Mangino, is an above average defensive coach. Much like Baylor, it’s hard to take Kansas football seriously, but their defense is to be respected. They play hard, they tackle well, they're well coached, and they execute what they’re asked to do. </span><a href="http://hornsblog.blogspot.com/2005/11/random-news-notes.html#113149162057979740" target="blank"><span style="font-size:85%;">Snicker all you want</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">; it’s not a bad unit.<br /><br />Still, even with an above average defense, Kansas is totally outmatched here. They haven’t played an offense as diversely dangerous as Texas’s at all. The best offense they’ve faced—that of Texas Tech—put up 30 points on them. Texas may not beat up on the Kansas defense the way they have against some of their opponents this year, but they’re not going to be stopped, either. Kansas needs to win the battle of turnovers by at least two, needs to dominate the field position game, and hope for a defensive or special teams score. Barring that perfect storm, this one won’t be close. I think Texas will keep its focus, build a 20-3 halftime lead, and win by a final margin of <strong>41-10</strong>, with most of its starters on the bench in the fourth quarter. </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">--PB--</span>PB at BONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04651472154167539754noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294986.post-1131483047112761322005-11-08T15:50:00.000-05:002005-11-08T15:50:47.210-05:00Random News & Notes<span style="font-size:85%;">A quick bullet point rundown before tomorrow’s forray into the Kansas game and our weekly national picks:<br /><br />• Nine teams in the Big 12 rank in the top 50 in rushing defense nationally, including three in the top 10 and five in the top 20. Kansas (1), Oklahoma (2), Colorado (5), Iowa State (12), Texas (20), Nebraska (26), Texas A&M (37), Kansas State (39), and Texas Tech (47) have all been successful in keeping opponents’ running games in check. That’s partly a product of the lack of potent rushing attacks in the Big 12, but also indicative of the strong rush defense the conference always plays.<br /><br />• Remember all the preseason hype about Reggie McNeal? Some even suggested that a McNeal for Vince Young swap might be in Texas’ best interest. Turns out that wouldn’t have been such a hot idea. McNeal is completing a mediocre 54.5% of his passes, with 14 TDs against 8 INTs. It’s been the Aggies rushing game, ranked 11th nationally with 224 yards per game, that’s saved the offense from complete destruction. That pass defense, too, needs a little work.<br /><br />• Before the Pac 10 bandwagoneers come stampeding through here, we offer you this nugget: this year’s top 14 teams in total defense (in order of 1 to 14)—Miami, Virginia Tech, Alabama, West Virginia, Kansas, Texas, Ohio State, Georgia, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Connecticut, and Penn State. Recognize any of those teams in the top half of the rankings these days? Before the Trojan flaming begins, let us offer this peace offering: This criticism doesn’t apply to you. Pete Carroll knows how to coach defense. We know that. Relax. Breathe.<br /><br />• Ohio State has only forced 10 turnovers this year, good for 110th in the nation. Two of those, you may remember, came against the Horns. Bizarre. That stat just surprised me. I really think the Big 10 is this year’s SEC—head and shoulders above the rest. Poor Michigan has faced seven top thirty teams already. It makes me wonder if Penn State, and not Virginia Tech, might have been the best bet to unseat Texas’ Rose Bowl berth had they remained unbeaten.<br /><br />• Matt Leinart (#1) and Vince Young (#3) are at the top of the passing efficiency leaders for the year. Leinart’s spot at the top surprises none, while Vince Young’s passing critics really are firing blanks. Cocky Trojan fans may not want to admit how good Young and Texas have been this year, but smart college football fans want this matchup. It’s not just narrative: these are your two best teams this year. Sometimes, when we’re lucky, narrative and the truth collide. I think this is one of those “good years” for the BCS. (Hehe—watch us lose to Kansas)<br /><br />• While that previous bit of information may not have surprised you, I bet this will. Guess who checks in at #4 in the nation in passing efficiency? Troy Smith of Ohio State. The Buckeye-Wolverine game could shape up to be a dandy. (Paging Chad Henne!)<br /><br />• Other stats USC and Texas excel in: 3rd down conversion percentage (USC 2nd nationally, Texas 5th), rushing defense (USC #19, Texas #20), and total offense (USC #1, Texas #4).<br />--PB-- </span>PB at BONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04651472154167539754noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294986.post-1131479839260337962005-11-08T14:55:00.000-05:002005-11-08T14:57:19.263-05:00Reluctant Bone Toss To Dogs of the Day<span style="font-size:85%;">I was torn on whether or not to give these jokers the time of day, but hey, this is a blog, and it’s our job to get you to, like, emote. So, we limply present to you the bozos of…<br /><br /></span><a href="http://www.firemajorapplewhite.blogspot.com/" target="blank"><span style="font-size:85%;">This site.</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />Start your flaming, Horns fans.<br />--PB-- </span>PB at BONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04651472154167539754noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294986.post-1131474609978424182005-11-08T13:26:00.000-05:002005-11-08T13:30:10.103-05:00Dumb Things Fat People Say<span style="font-size:85%;">Remember last year, when Texas scored two late touchdowns to beat Kansas, 27-23? It was a pretty crappy performance from Texas, save the final two drives, but the worst of it didn’t come from the Longhorns. No, Mark Mangino won that honor with his post-game comments. In case you forgot:<br /><br /></span><a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/recap?gid=200411130020" target="blank"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">“You know what this is all about, don't you? BCS. That's what made a difference today in the game,” Mangino said. “That's what made the difference in a call in front of their bench. Dollar signs.”</span></em></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />Gotcha, Mark. There’s nothing quite like a grand conspiracy theory to bail your team out for a disappointing loss. Hey, that’s why we got another Yankees-Red Sox ALCS this year. Because that’s what the big dollars wanted, goddamnit!<br /><br />Big Gut Maggoo, err… Mark Mangino, an offspring of the Bob Stoops program at OU, should be above that. But, rather than pass judgment on Mangino for remarks he made in the heat of the moment, let me just remind our readers that such things are not forgotten.<br /><br />On Monday Texas coaches passed around newspaper clippings of those quotes to their players to remind them of last year’s game and fire them up. Another week, another outmatched Texas opponent making sure they catch an angry, rather than sleeping, giant.<br /><br />Hey, who am I to complain?<br />--PB-- </span>PB at BONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04651472154167539754noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294986.post-1131467938653710962005-11-08T11:25:00.000-05:002005-11-08T11:38:58.756-05:00Barnes Lands Another<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">Rick Barnes has received another verbal commitment for next year's squad. </span><a href="http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&c=1&nid=1112124"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">DJ Augustin</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">, a 6' 1" point guard from Sugar Land (via Louisiana after Katrina), is a 4 star recruit according to Scout.com and is rated the seventh best point guard in the country. Rick Barnes is securing a future after the inevitable departure of Daniel Gibson. Augustin is the sixth prospect to make a verbal commitment to the Horns. Again, verbal commitments are not binding, but if everyone signs this will be a definitely be a top 10 class. The early signing period starts tomorrow and continues through November 16th.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">--AW--</span>AWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15889145826267990294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294986.post-1131463030976265562005-11-08T10:09:00.000-05:002005-11-08T10:17:11.080-05:00ATL Interview: Everyone Should Be This Funny<p><span style="font-size:85%;">ATL had the unique opportunity to pose some questions to two of the funniest college football writers you’ll find, Orson Swindle and Stranko Montana, co-authors of </span><a href="http://www.everydayshouldbesaturday.com" target="blank"><span style="font-size:85%;">Every Day Should Be Saturday</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">. Along with having the coolest named blog around, they’re laugh-out-loud funny, and poignant, to boot. Graduates of the University of Florida, the two authors of EDSBS answered a few questions for ATL. We couldn’t have enjoyed their answers more. We’re sure you will, too.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>ATL:</strong> Describe Florida's season in one sentence for us.<br /><br /><strong>EDSBS: </strong>Florida's season has been a treat for the whole family, a story both adults and children can love featuring the unique vocal talents of Aaron Carter, Tom Waits, and Stephen Hawking.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Seriously? Shit, that's not easy. Try this on: one long scrimmage with mixed results.<br /><br /><strong>ATL: </strong>What's up with Chris Leak? He looks like such an impressive quarterback to us, but he doesn't seem to be taking to Urban Meyer's system that well? Help us out: what's up?<br /><br /><strong>EDSBS:</strong> Leak's being asked to do two things he's never done prior to this year. First, he's supposed to run an option, which a great number of high school quarterbacks get at least some experience doing along the way. Not so for Leak, who essentially ran the same static spread offense all the way from high school through his first two years of college. It hasn't been pretty, but with the recent tweaks in the run game it's been a little less horrific the past two games.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Second, he's being asked to make calls at the line for the first time in both the run and pass game. Believe it or not, film monster and workaholic Leak--who youthink would have been given a certain amount of trust before--was never given the option to audible at the line.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Finally, remember this: Leak's only a junior. It feels like he's been around forever, but he's only had one season prior to this one as the full-time starter in an entirely different offense. He just had his best game of the season, and Meyer seems to know what to do with him now. He'll probably leave Florida as a disappointment in some people's eyes, but given the banana republic drama of the Zook years, that's a cheap shot, we think.<br /><br /><strong>ATL:</strong> How does the next year or two look for Florida? Are you optimistic?<br /><br /><strong>EDSBS: </strong>We are. The talent pipeline is wide open and Meyer is texting recruits in their sleep, so recruiting won't be an issue. The mystique-building that took a hitunder Zook (we just kicked our dog again--look what you made us do!!!) is recovering somewhat.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">And for most of the year, people can still walk around Gainesville half-naked, which goes a long way when you're dealing with oversexed and indulged 18-year old athletes. Why can't Notre Dame recruit with USC and Miami? Ever tried walking around South Bend in hot pants and a bandana top? We have, and let me tell you, chapped penis does not spell fun in anyone's dictionary.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">More important than that is Urban Meyer's ability to win games despite a sputtering offense and first-year kinks in the system. He's won low-scoring grappling matches like the Tennessee and Georgia games. He's won a shootout in the Vandy game. He almost won at LSU. Really, there's only been one game where we had our asses handed to us, and that was against the only undefeated team in the conference.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">And he adjusted when he had to, giving Leak a wider comfort zone for the Georgia and Vandy games. If we split the last two games, Florida goes 8-3 per our prediction and lives up to first-year billing. Not bad for someone's first year in a big boy conference.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">The only real concern is the weakness of the conference in the bottom five teams and how that will reflect on our strength of schedule. Everyone needs to just hold on to their coaches for a while and let them do some real work, especially over in the West, where for some reason the trigger's a little quicker. Look at Bobby Johnson at Vandy, who's worked miracles with his team given a fair amount of time. Take a deep breath. Have a Fresca, in the words of Judge Smails from Caddyshack.<br /><br /><strong>ATL: </strong>Vince Young, Reggie Bush, or Matt Leinart for Heisman?<br /><br /><strong>EDSBS:</strong> Vince Young. Even Bevo-haters begin their arguments with "Well, without Young you'd be 3-7, in the C-USA, totally gay and loving it, blah blah blah... " That'sa great testament to how important he really is. The agony for us is imagining the holy terror he'd be in the Florida offense. He embarrasses people in the Mack-attack, but he'd straight burn stadiums to the ground in the spread option and sow salt on the ground when he left. A Halley's comet talent who still doesn't get the pub he deserves because he's closer to Texarkana than New York or Los Angeles. Enjoy him.<br /><br /><strong>ATL:</strong> Assume a Texas-USC Rose Bowl. Who wins it?<br /><br /><strong>EDSBS:</strong> Hate me now: USC. That's money talking, though--we'd love to see what Gene Chizik would cook up for that game. We have a feeling it would involve chickenblood, the hair of a dead man, six hours of dancing around a bonfire and one picture of Matt Leinart. Texas provides the toughest matchup, we think, but theUSC offense is epochal. They're going a long way down from it next year.<br /><br /><strong>ATL:</strong> You hear a lot of SEC-bashing these days. Do you think it's overblown?<br /><br /><strong>EDSBS:</strong> Not really, but there's a fair amount of Gomer-pointing involved in it too. We cheat. We lie. We schedule cupcakes. All true, too, but when someone can give a critique without invoking the hayseed angle--as John Walters did in CNNSI--we listen. You don't hear that as often as you hear the evil redneck angle.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">It goes to a larger pattern in college football coverage that anything not aligned with the media poles of LA and New York is considered strange or otherwise lesser. Regionality is hard to market, so it's pushed to the side in favor of easy branding. USC and Notre Dame coming back to national prominence means something easy for the big networks to latch on to--historical brands with big name recognition. Texas or Florida's a little harder for them to pitch to thecoasts.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">This all explains why living in Atlanta is so, so good for a college football fan: the college game is THE game here, and everything else scrambles for second. Note the huge contingent of bloggers in the Atlanta area--Georgia Sports, Sexy Results, ATL Eagle, The Drizzle, Braves and Birds...there's reasons to be here, and they mostly happen in the fall.<br /><br /><strong>ATL: </strong>Do you have a gripe with the BCS system or are you relatively satisfied with the status quo?<br /><br /><strong>EDSBS:</strong> Yes. It's fraud and a beauty pageant. But not a Miss America-style pageant; no, it's more like a bad state fair pageant, where two or three qualified contestants keep straight faces while Miss Bucksnort county clogs for the judges with five pounds of makeup on her pockmarked skin before launching into her screeching,country-rap-rock version of "Hollaback Girl." And Miss Bucksnort county's daddy is on the judges' panel, too, so you know she's at least getting into the final round.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Miss Bucksnort couldn't actually compete her way to the crown, though--which is why we need a playoff like we need a drink just thinking about the shambolic BCS scenarios that could still play out this year.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">--PB--</span></p>PB at BONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04651472154167539754noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294986.post-1131394401900994982005-11-07T15:09:00.000-05:002005-11-07T15:13:22.130-05:00Street named AL ROY<span style="font-size:85%;">The voters got it right, if you ask us. Former Texas star and current Oakland A's closer Huston Street </span><a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20051107&content_id=1265232&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb" target="blank"><span style="font-size:85%;">won the 2005 AL Rookie of the Year today</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">. We've </span><a href="http://hornsblog.blogspot.com/2005/09/dominance.html" target="blank"><span style="font-size:85%;">blogged</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><a href="http://hornsblog.blogspot.com/2005/10/street-wins-tsn-al-rookie-of-year.html" target="blank"><span style="font-size:85%;">several</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><a href="http://hornsblog.blogspot.com/2005/04/horns-pitchers-thriving.html" target="blank"><span style="font-size:85%;">times</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> about Street's amazing rookie campaign. He was Mariano Rivera in green.<br /><br />Congratulations to Huston Street. </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">--PB--</span>PB at BONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04651472154167539754noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294986.post-1131392148323619062005-11-07T14:23:00.000-05:002005-11-07T14:37:43.766-05:00USC fans really are dumb<span style="font-size:85%;">Hey, a theme for the day is emerging! USC fans are really dumb. We’ve already exposed BFT for what he is (a BFJ), but I stumbled into more dumb USC writing and, well, I’m feeling rather snarky today.<br /><br />Our latest example of Trojan stupidity comes from Crazy Trojan Musings. It’s just another USC homer site, which we don’t have any problem with, but he picked a fight with us in </span><a href="http://crazytrojan.blogspot.com/2005/10/longhorn-fans-rooting-guide.html" target="blank"><span style="font-size:85%;">this post about our Longhorn Fan Rooting Guide</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">.<br /><br />Writes Crazy Trojan:<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>Is this serious? Do Longhorns fans really need to be told which teams to root for? They even advocate rooting for the Sooners and the Aggies because it will improve Texas' schedule strength. That's just sad.<br /><br />As long as polls play a role in determining the national champion of Div. 1 college football, no team is in complete control of its destiny. What's the use in getting worked up over the results of games across the country over which your team has absolutely no influence. It's simple for USC fans; we root for the Trojans . . . and whoever is playing UCLA.</em><br /><br />Okay, where to start? What is the goal of the USC football team every year? I would suggest that it is to win a national championship. Certainly, that’s the goal we have here in Texas.<br /><br />And, as you point out, there are polls involved in determining which teams get to actually play for said national championship. More to the point, there are <em>lots</em> of factors that go into the equation of who gets to play. And a notable chunk of it has to do with how your opponents fare in their other games.<br /><br />Now, we could take your advice and simply root against Oklahoma and Texas A&M, even if it’s in direct conflict with our stated goal of, you know, playing for the national champsionship. Maybe Auburn fans were delighted last year when their rivals, Alabama, struggled much of the year. More likely, though, they were pissed as hell that their football team was on the outside of the title game looking in.<br /><br />We’re not brain dead here in Texas (though you appear to be dangerously close). We’ll root for whatever helps Texas get to the title game. You just keep rooting against the Bruins and hope that UCLA doesn't keep USC out of the title game one year.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">--PB--<br /></span>PB at BONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04651472154167539754noreply@blogger.com12