Rethinking Mack Brown's place in coaching
Used to be the conventional wisdom was that Mack Brown was not a good game coach.
"He's always had the players", many, including myself, argued, "but he can't get it done in big games." And as recently as last week, a former players Cedric Benson was saying that Mack Brown coaches conservatively in big games
But in the last 3 big games Texas has been in, something has clicked. In last year's Rose Bowl, Texas played a close game against Michigan and won. Then they went up to Ohio State, and got Mack Brown's first regular season win over a top-5 AP team (at the time, the Buckeyes were #5) and handed Ohio State it's first non-conference loss at Ohio Stadium in a long while. Now Mack has finally beaten Bob Stoops.
Now, this could very well be the fact that Brown has a once-in-a-lifetime QB like Vince Young, who apparently has the mental toughness to go with his athletic ability. But there's been a drastic change the Longhorns' game play in big games.
The play calling is more aggressive, as evidenced by the long bomb the 'Horns called at the end of the first half in the Oklahoma game. Most coaches play the percentages when up 17-6 and take a knee to end the half, and Mack Brown would have done the same in the past. This time, Brown called a pass play, scored a touchdown, and effectively ended the contest.
Also, the Longhorns have designed their offense around their players' abilities, rather than constraining them by making them fit a "system". They let Vince Young take off during the Michigan game, but during the Ohio State and Oklahoma games, they've taken advantage of Vince Young's arm on key plays.
Maybe he's learning as a coach.
However, coaching is a "what have you done for me lately" buisness, and Mack Brown faces a QB crisis next year as former walk-on Colt McCoy could be the only returning player next year, and the star QB they thought they had, Mitch Mustain, verbally committed to his home state of Arkansas (although, verbal commitments are worth nothing, as UT found out last year with Ryan Perriloux). Without a solid QB, the longhorns could sink back to the pack, and we can forget we ever had this conversation about Mack being a better coach.
Astros beat Braves, set up rematch with Cardinals.
It took 18 innings, but the Houston Astros finally won Game 4 of the division series to set up a rematch with the St. Louis Cardinals. in the National League Championship Series.
It's been a wild ride for the Astros, who started out slowly, then came back to capture the Wild Card behind a cast of young talent, which were led by veterans like Roger Clemens, Andy Pettite, and Craig Biggio.
Unfortunately, for the second straight year, the Cardinals may block the Astros from getting into the World Series. Houston lost 11 of the 16 meetings with the Cardinals this year, and in almost every game, St. Louis stifled Houston's hitting. Also, the Cards have been surprisingly effective against Houston's pitching.
I'd like to see Houston finally make the World Series, but it looks like the Cardinals are going to stuff them once again.
Stars score 5 unanswered goals to win home opener
The NHL season opener snuck up on a lot of people. I was one of them.
However, from what little I've heard and seen, I looks like the NHL's new rules are working. For proof, look no further than the Dallas Stars' home opener.
The LA Kings got up 4 goals on the Stars, which last year would've meant that the Kings would have just sat on the puck and clutched and grabbed their way to victory.
The Stars, however, because of the new NHL rules, were able to score 5 unanswered goals and come back to win.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Monday, October 10, 2005
Weekend Wrap-Up: "Reverse the Curse" Edition
(Deborah Cannon, Austin American-Statesman)Well, just like the Red Sox of last baseball season, the Longhorns "cowboyed up" and "Reversed the Curse". Now all Texas has to do is win out.
But a BCS berth is not as automatic as people say it is.
First off, there's injuries and suspensions. While the Longhorns are deep at all but one position, if Texas faces a series of injuries and suspensions to the two-deep, it could hurt them because then you're either a heartbeat away from playing a walk-on or scout team player or you're playing them altogether.
Also, the Longhorns can ill-afford an injury to Vince Young. Matt Nordgren is a good drop-back passer, but he's not even close to the runner Vince is, which means that defenses can blitz easier knowing that Nordgren won't leave the pocket on a heavy blitz.
Second, with Ohio State's loss to Penn State the Longhorns' strength of schedule is in deep trouble, and while it's not a separate component of the BCS rankings anymore, many pollsters will take it into account and many of the computer rankings have an S.O.S. component. Auburn was left out of the championship game, in large part because they scheduled weak in the non-conference, and their division was in an off year. Both divisions of the Big XII are weak this year, but so long as there was a 1-loss Ohio State team contending for the Big 10 title, that would overcome any shortcomings of the conference schedule. Now, they don't have that anymore.
As of right now, Georgia, Alabama, Virginia Tech, Florida State, and Penn State are all undefeated in better conferences than the Big 12. If Texas has a close game against one of their remaining opponents, even in a victory, it could mean someone leapfrogs Texas.
Third, the Longhorns have two remaining trap games on their schedule within their own state. Texas Tech is also currently undefeated, and though they barely escaped Lincoln with their lives, the Red Raiders always play Texas tough(Last time the game was in Austin, for instance, Texas Tech missed a field goal that could have won it.). Also, the traditional "Turkey Day +1" game against A&M will be tough as the game will be at Kyle Field and the Aggies, as bad as they've looked this season, would like nothing more than to ruin the Longhorns' national title shot.
Oh, and the Longhorns better not overlook that Colorado game next week either.
Meanwhile, in the Pro ranks, Dallas surprised everyone, myself included, and beat the heck out of the Philadelphia Eagles, a team that the 'Boys needed to beat if they were going to climb to the NFC's upper echelon.
Colleges
Big story of the weekend:
Texas finally over the Oklahoma hurdle with a 45-12 win
How sweet it is for Burnt Orange Nation.
They finally win the one game that has plagued them these last 5 years.
The biggest sign that this is a different Texas team? With 17 seconds left in the 2nd quarter and Texas at their own 36 yard line, Mack Brown, who's normally been too conservative in his playcalling in this game, called a long pass play rather than take a knee.
Vince Young threw it.
Billy Pittman caught it.
Texas went into the locker room up 24-6 (instead of 17-6), and the Sooners pretty much quit from that moment on.
Recaps:
All Things Longhorn
My Opinion on Sports
Gaylord Memorial Gathering
Rubbing it in, blogosphere style:
The Burnt Orange Bad(censored) at Personal Foul
Big 12 Games
Texas Tech 34, Nebraska 31
The finish to this game, Cody Hodges' 10-yard touchdown pass to Joel Filani with 12 seconds left, was one of the best in college football this season. Up until then, it was ugly for Red Raider fans as an early 21 point lead evaporated in the second half, and 2 scoring drives in the second half ended with field goals instead of touchdowns.
Recap #1: Shallowbottom Blog
Recap #2: Double T Ranch
Bitter Nebraska Fan Blogging: Struggling Joe
Colorado 41, Texas A&M 20
So much for A&M being a championship contender. Joel Klatt becomes the latest QB to put up 300-plus yards on A&M's defense (398 to be exact). The Carl Torbush firing watch continues.
Buffalo Recap: Buffs.TV
Aggie Recap: Texas A&M and Baseball
Baylor 23, Iowa State 13
Baylor bounces back from their narrow loss at A&M to give Iowa State a dose of reality in their own crib.
Recap: Cyclone Sports Journal
Post-game hand wringing: Cyclones Football blog on Des Moines Register
Missouri 38, Oklahoma State 31
For the first time this year, Oklahoma State actually shows up on offense. Unfortunately, their defense can't play worth anything.
Recap: Cowboy Brand
Kansas State 12, Kansas 3
Wow, that was an ugly game. Both teams combined for 277 yards passing. Not surprisingly, both these teams currently have QB controversies.
Our Adopted Team
Houston 35, Tulane 14
Art Briles, former Texas Tech assistant, knew he needed a Taurean Henderson-type dual threat running back to emerge if Houston's offense was going to be like Texas Tech. One may have emerged tonight in Ryan Gilbert, who got 130 yards and 2 TDs on the ground and got another 58 yards and a TD through the air.
Unfortunately, this means the Tulane Green Wave, our adopted Hurricane Katrina vagabond team to 2-2 on the year. On the bright side, Lester Ricard passed for both of the Wave's scores.
Recap: Frank McGrath
Around the State
TCU 28, Wyoming 14
High altitude? No problem for the Horned Frogs as they forced 7 turnovers from the Cowboys. Amazingly, the Frogs won the game in spite of backup QB Jeff Ballard, who in his first start was an embarassing 9 for 23 for 112 yards and 2 picks (oh, and a touchdown).
SMU 28, UAB 27
Don't let the final score fool you, Phil Bennett still can't coach. However, his team showed a lot of heart yesterday with a comeback win over Darrell Hackney and the UAB Blazers, a team that gave Tennessee a scare in it's opener.
East Carolina 41, Rice 28
Believe it or not, Rice was actually leading this game until the last play of the first half when ECU's Aundrae Allison threw a 40-yard bomb to James Pinkney. After that, it was pretty much all Pirates
Troy 13, North Texas 10 (Tuesday)
Well, now that everyone's pretty much figured out that North Texas has no defense and no passing game, the rest of the Sun Belt is teeing off on them.
Mike Price $20 Million, Sports Illustrated 0
UTEP was off this week, but that didn't stop their head coach from collecting an undisclosed settlement from his defamation lawsuit against SI.
More commentary: Every Day Should Be Saturday
Around the Nation
(The best blog recaps)
Georgia 27, Tennessee 14
Georgia Sports Blog
VOLuminous (Tennessee):
"Report Card"
"Help Wanted"
"By The Numbers"
Penn State 17, Ohio State 10
50-Yard Lion (Penn St.)
Nittany Blog (Penn St.)
Buckeyecommentary.com (Ohio St.)
Around the Oval (Ohio St.)
UCLA 20, Cal 10
Bruins Nation
Boston College 28, Virginia 17
Game Recaps:
Eagle in Atlanta (BC)
On the Brad Butler late hit:
Eagle in Atlanta #1
Eagle in Atlanta #2
Sexy Results (Virginia)
NC State 17, Georgia Tech
Section Six (NC State)
Golden Tornado (Georgia Tech)
Cheap Seats' Blogpoll Ballot
I didn't submit a ballot this week, because I wanted to re-evaluate the teams this week. I'm still doing that, so expect a full ballot tomorrow.
NFL
Sunday's Games
Dallas 33, Philadelphia 10
HOW BOUT THEM COWBOYS! Who would have though that Terry Glenn would have better fantasy numbers than TO? Who would have thought the Cowboys could actually get 4 sacks on D-McNabb, while Drew Bledsoe was barely touched? Who would have thought Julius Jones could go down and a reserve running back could step up and get 75 yards?
This is a game I've been wanting to see from the Cowboys all season. They finally laid the wood to someone. More importantly, the "someone" they laid the wood to was the defending NFC champs and favorites to win the NFC East.
Game Ball: Drew Bledsoe
289 yards, 3 TDs, no picks, no sacks.
Recaps: The Cowboy Roundup
Green Bay 52, New Orleans 3
Wow, Did I say Green Bay had no chance in this game? I take that back.
By the way, Najeh Davenport's touchdowns in the game: 2.
Insert your own joke here.
Game Ball: Bret Favre
3 Touchdown passes? I'm sorry I ever said he was done as an NFL QB.
Tennessee 34, Houston 20
If Tennessee hired Norm Chow with the expectation that they would be getting Matt Leinart in the draft, they messed up by winning this game. Now Houston has the inside track for the USC quarterback.
Game Ball: Domanick Davis
Once again, he's the Texans most reliable option with 130 yards.
Monday Night Football vs. CSI:Miami
This Week's Monday Night Football Game (San Diego at Pittsburgh):
With the Patriots in serious trouble because of injuries, this matchup could go a long way towards determining AFC home field advantage.
This week's CSI:Miami ("48 Hours to Life"):
Yahoo TV Listing:
Evidence suggests that a confessed killer is actually innocent; Horatio works to collar the actual culprit before the man falls victim to the systemI think they already did a case like this on the orginal CSI.
The Verdict
Even if tonight's CSI:Miami was a good episode, the Pittsburgh-San Diego matchup is too good to miss.
Monday Night Football.
Baseball
Division Series:
Houston beats Atlanta 3 games to 1
Congratulations to the Houston Astros on winning their second straight Division Series. Now they face the Cardinals again for a trip to the World Series. Hopefully, it will go better than next year
More Commentary: The Dugout
Tomorrow: Astros, Stars, and Blogpoll
Friday, October 7, 2005
Weekend Preview - 10/7/2005
T-1 day to the Red River Shootout
(cue NFL Films music)
(cue John Facenda)
The second weekend in October
It is the weekend where legends are born.
The legends of the second weekend in October read like the history of college football itself: Layne, Nobis, Wilkinson, Royal, Campbell, Selmon, Gill, Watts, Switzer, Bosworth, Brown, Williams, Stoops, Heupel, and White.
The second weekend in October once hosted most anticipated non-conference matchup of the year. Now in the short history of the Big XII Conference, no weekend has impacted the final standings more.
Now as the weekend approaches once again, Longhorn fans and Sooner fans both travel on Interstate 35 to Dallas, to watch their gladiators battle again.
They come to the State Fair Grounds, where on the venerable field of the Cotton Bowl, Texas and Oklahoma will battle like the mythic titans once struggled with the Greek gods. In front of a stadium half crimson and cream, half burnt orange and white, a battle worthy of the epic poet Homer will take place.
All the while Big Tex stands guard, ready to greet both teams.
Colleges
Starting their weekend off early
Troy 13, North Texas 10
The defensive problems continue for North Texas as they allowed 283 yards rushing to the Trojans. Then again, it could be the early Tuesday date threw everyone off because Troy's passing game wasn't sharp either.
Big 12/Texas Game of the week
Oklahoma at Texas
Red River Shootout - Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas
Saturday, 12:00 PM ABC (KVUE 24)
Overview
The last 5 years, Texas's national title aspirations have died in this game. If they don't win this game this year, with OU already out of the national picture and rebuilding, they may never beat them again.
Key Matchup
Texas defensive line vs Oklahoma offensive line.
Texas has about 6 stars playing 4 positions on that line. OU's line has been spotty. If Texas wins the battle up front, Adrian Peterson will end up with hurt pride to go with that hurt ankle and Rhett Bomar will be looking for his mouthpiece all day.
Key player for Oklahoma
Rhett Bomar
Texas has the tools to stop the run, so it's up to Bomar to step up to take some of the pressure off of Peterson.
Key player for Texas
Vince Young
OU will be prepared to stop Young's ground game, so he must beat OU through the air and challenge their patchwork secondary.
Tale of the Tape
Big XII Games
Texas Tech at Nebraska
Saturday 3:00 PM TBS
This is a game that should scare the heck out of Red Raider fans. Nebraska's got a very good pass rush and Cody Hodges was knocked around last week, albeit in a win, against Kansas. The Red Raider defense stepped up, but they need to prove they can consistenly get pressure and force more turnovers.
If the Red Raiders want to prove they are a good team, they must win this one.
Kansas at Kansas State
Saturday 11:00 AM FSN Southwest/Midwest/Rocky Mtn.
Neither Sunflower State school fared very well in their conference opener. The loser falls behind in the Big 12 North race and in all likelihood is out of it.
Texas A&M at Colorado
Saturday 6:00 PM FSN Southwest/Midwest/Rocky Mtn.
Well, the Aggies aren't winning pretty, but they are winning. Now they travel to Boulder to play the Buffs at mile-high altitude.
Baylor at Iowa State
Saturday 1:00 PM
Both these teams lost in overtime last week, let's see who can bounce back the fastest. Iowa State needs this one, otherwise they will be behind the 8-ball in the North race with 2 early losses.
Missouri at Oklahoma State
Saturday 1:00 PM
Will Oklahoma State ever score against a Big 12 Team? Stay tuned.
Our Adopted Team
Tulane at Houston
Saturday 5:00 PM
Since this is going to be a conference matchup for a long time to come, and both cities have been recently affected by major hurricanes, perhaps they could make a "Gulf Hurricane Trophy" for the winner of the now-annual game.
Other Texas Teams
TCU at Wyoming
Saturday 2:00 PM
Both teams are 4-1 and undefeated in Mountain West play. The extreme high altitude of Laramie, Wyoming (almost a half mile above Denver in elevation) makes this a tough road game for the Horned Frogs, who haven't made this trip since both schools were in the WAC. If they win, however, they have an egde on the rest of the conference
Rice at East Carolina
Saturday, 5:00 PM
The only thing interesting about this game is that both coaches have ties to Arkansas. Skip Holtz' dad Lou once coached at Arkansas, as did current Rice coach Ken Hatfield.
Other than that, it's a Pirate blowout.
SMU at UAB
Saturday, 6:00 PM
If you happen to be going to this game, watch UAB's Darrell Hackney, because he will smash records in this game against a hapless SMU defense.
Bye Week
UTEP
National Games of Note
NFL
Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans
12:00 PM CBS (KEYE 42)
Overview
There's no reason to watch this game. Heck, there's no reason any station outside of Houston or Nashville should be showing this game. Don't even place money on this game, it's too unpredictable.
Loser gets Matt Leinart.
Key Matchup
Fisher's "46" vs Houston's offensive line
OK, so it's not your typical Jeff Fisher aggressive defense, but they are still facing the worst offensive line in the league.
Key player for Houston
Andre Johnson
Since the pass blocking isn't working, he needs help out by come back to the football.
Key player for (opponent)
(road player)
Tale of the Tape
New Orleans Saints at Green Bay Packers
12:00 PM FOX/Sunday Ticket (check local listings)
Overview
Well, Green Bay almost won on Monday Night, now they face America's Favorite Hurricane Vagabonds, who are coming off their first "home" win.
Key Matchup
Brett Favre vs New Orleans Secondary
We all know when Brett gets desperate he throws the ball up for grabs. He's done it his whole career.
Key player for New Orleans
Joe Horn
Look for him and Donte Stallworth to go off on Green Bay's woeful secondary
Key player for Green Bay
Ahman Green
Green needs to get going. Period.
Tale of the Tape
Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys
3:15 PM Fox (KTBC 7)
Overview
At the beginning of the season, the Cowboys looked like the biggest challengers to the Eagles' dominance. Now the Cowboys will be lucky to win this game.
Key Matchup
Terrence Newman/Anthony Henry vs Terrell Owens
As bad as Dallas's safeties are playing pass coverage these days, Newman and Henry might as well be single-covering Owens every play. Let's hope they took notes from DeAngelo Hall's Week 1 performance. Let's also hope Mike Zimmer puts one of these guys on him every play because if Aaron Glenn's on him, well, see Brunell-to-Moss from Week 2 for a preview.
Key player for Dallas
Rob Pettiti
I know, I know, it's the second time I've had him as a key player, but it's the first time the rookie has had to face the Eagles defense, and you can bet Jim Johnson's going to place his "Joker" on his side most of the plays.
Key player for Eagles
Donovan McNabb
He better be mobile, because the Cowboys will send the house if he isn't.
Tale of the Tape
Monday: Weekend Wrap-Up
(cue NFL Films music)
(cue John Facenda)
The second weekend in October
It is the weekend where legends are born.
The legends of the second weekend in October read like the history of college football itself: Layne, Nobis, Wilkinson, Royal, Campbell, Selmon, Gill, Watts, Switzer, Bosworth, Brown, Williams, Stoops, Heupel, and White.
The second weekend in October once hosted most anticipated non-conference matchup of the year. Now in the short history of the Big XII Conference, no weekend has impacted the final standings more.
Now as the weekend approaches once again, Longhorn fans and Sooner fans both travel on Interstate 35 to Dallas, to watch their gladiators battle again.
They come to the State Fair Grounds, where on the venerable field of the Cotton Bowl, Texas and Oklahoma will battle like the mythic titans once struggled with the Greek gods. In front of a stadium half crimson and cream, half burnt orange and white, a battle worthy of the epic poet Homer will take place.
All the while Big Tex stands guard, ready to greet both teams.
Colleges
Starting their weekend off early
Troy 13, North Texas 10
The defensive problems continue for North Texas as they allowed 283 yards rushing to the Trojans. Then again, it could be the early Tuesday date threw everyone off because Troy's passing game wasn't sharp either.
Big 12/Texas Game of the week
Oklahoma at Texas
Red River Shootout - Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas
Saturday, 12:00 PM ABC (KVUE 24)
Overview
The last 5 years, Texas's national title aspirations have died in this game. If they don't win this game this year, with OU already out of the national picture and rebuilding, they may never beat them again.
Key Matchup
Texas defensive line vs Oklahoma offensive line.
Texas has about 6 stars playing 4 positions on that line. OU's line has been spotty. If Texas wins the battle up front, Adrian Peterson will end up with hurt pride to go with that hurt ankle and Rhett Bomar will be looking for his mouthpiece all day.
Key player for Oklahoma
Rhett Bomar
Texas has the tools to stop the run, so it's up to Bomar to step up to take some of the pressure off of Peterson.
Key player for Texas
Vince Young
OU will be prepared to stop Young's ground game, so he must beat OU through the air and challenge their patchwork secondary.
Tale of the Tape
| Category | Edge | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Texas offense vs. Oklahoma defense | Texas | I know Oklahoma has a tough run defense that contained Maurice Drew, but they haven't faced a QB-RB run combo like Vince Young and Jamaal Charles yet. |
| Oklahoma offense vs. Texas defense | Texas | Rhett Bomar has not faced a pass rush or secondary like Texas's yet. And Adrian Peterson, while probable, is slowed a bit. |
| Special Teams | Oklahoma | With Texas struggling with kick coverage and David Pino struggling even on extra points, OU has the better special teams in this game. |
| Coaching | Oklahoma | Bob Stoops is still a better game coach than Mack Brown. Mack has traditionally been a shrinking violet in this game. |
| Intangibles | Push | Texas knows this is their best shot yet to get over the OU hump, and they're going to play like it. OU would like nothing better than to ruin the Longhorns season again. |
Big XII Games
Texas Tech at Nebraska
Saturday 3:00 PM TBS
This is a game that should scare the heck out of Red Raider fans. Nebraska's got a very good pass rush and Cody Hodges was knocked around last week, albeit in a win, against Kansas. The Red Raider defense stepped up, but they need to prove they can consistenly get pressure and force more turnovers.
If the Red Raiders want to prove they are a good team, they must win this one.
Kansas at Kansas State
Saturday 11:00 AM FSN Southwest/Midwest/Rocky Mtn.
Neither Sunflower State school fared very well in their conference opener. The loser falls behind in the Big 12 North race and in all likelihood is out of it.
Texas A&M at Colorado
Saturday 6:00 PM FSN Southwest/Midwest/Rocky Mtn.
Well, the Aggies aren't winning pretty, but they are winning. Now they travel to Boulder to play the Buffs at mile-high altitude.
Baylor at Iowa State
Saturday 1:00 PM
Both these teams lost in overtime last week, let's see who can bounce back the fastest. Iowa State needs this one, otherwise they will be behind the 8-ball in the North race with 2 early losses.
Missouri at Oklahoma State
Saturday 1:00 PM
Will Oklahoma State ever score against a Big 12 Team? Stay tuned.
Our Adopted Team
Tulane at Houston
Saturday 5:00 PM
Since this is going to be a conference matchup for a long time to come, and both cities have been recently affected by major hurricanes, perhaps they could make a "Gulf Hurricane Trophy" for the winner of the now-annual game.
Other Texas Teams
TCU at Wyoming
Saturday 2:00 PM
Both teams are 4-1 and undefeated in Mountain West play. The extreme high altitude of Laramie, Wyoming (almost a half mile above Denver in elevation) makes this a tough road game for the Horned Frogs, who haven't made this trip since both schools were in the WAC. If they win, however, they have an egde on the rest of the conference
Rice at East Carolina
Saturday, 5:00 PM
The only thing interesting about this game is that both coaches have ties to Arkansas. Skip Holtz' dad Lou once coached at Arkansas, as did current Rice coach Ken Hatfield.
Other than that, it's a Pirate blowout.
SMU at UAB
Saturday, 6:00 PM
If you happen to be going to this game, watch UAB's Darrell Hackney, because he will smash records in this game against a hapless SMU defense.
Bye Week
UTEP
National Games of Note
| Game | Time | TV | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia at Tennessee | Sat. 2:30 PM | CBS | Winner of the game has an easier road to the SEC East, loser is scoreboard watching for the rest of the year |
| Cal at UCLA | Sat. 6:30 PM | TBS | Winner gets to be the biggest threat to UCLA on the remaining schedule. |
| Ohio State at Penn State | Sat. 6:45 PM | ESPN | OK, Penn State's undefeated at 5-0, but this game will tell us if the Nittany Lions are truely back. |
| LSU at Vanderbilt | Sat. 6:00 PM | ESPN2 | LSU fan needs to lay off Les Miles. The guy got the most out of Oklahoma State and he's eventually going to get the most out of this program too. |
| Arizona at USC | Sat. 2:30 PM | none | They say Notre Dame has a bye this week, their opponents for next week virtually have a bye. I bet Mike Stoops wishes he was in Dallas laying another one on the 'Horns right now. |
| Oregon at Arizona State | Sat. 9:30 PM | none | The "We were leading USC at the half, but choked it away" Bowl. Winner gets the Golden Heimlich. |
| Virgina at Boston College | Sat. 12:00 PM | PPV | With BC's uncertain quarterback situation, Virginia should roll in this one |
| Marshall at Virgina Tech | Sat. 11:00 PM | ESPN2 | This is not you're father's Marshall team. Also, they're playing at Lane Stadium. |
| Iowa at Purdue | Sat. 3:30 PM | ESPN | This looked like a better game when the schedule came out. Now neither Iowa nor Purdue are ranked. |
| North Carolina at Louisville | Sat. 3:30 PM | PPV | Let's see if the Cardinals can bounce back from that bad loss to South Florida |
NFL
Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans
12:00 PM CBS (KEYE 42)
Overview
There's no reason to watch this game. Heck, there's no reason any station outside of Houston or Nashville should be showing this game. Don't even place money on this game, it's too unpredictable.
Loser gets Matt Leinart.
Key Matchup
Fisher's "46" vs Houston's offensive line
OK, so it's not your typical Jeff Fisher aggressive defense, but they are still facing the worst offensive line in the league.
Key player for Houston
Andre Johnson
Since the pass blocking isn't working, he needs help out by come back to the football.
Key player for (opponent)
(road player)
Tale of the Tape
| Category | Edge | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Texans offense vs. Titans defense | Tennessee | Instead of a spread for Texans games, they should have an over/under on sacks on David Carr. |
| Titans offense vs. Texans defense | Push | Resistable force vs. movable object. |
| Special Teams | Push | There's nothing special about either special teams unit |
| Coaching | Tennessee | Jeff Fisher has at least coached well in more big games. |
| Intangibles | Push | Who cares? |
New Orleans Saints at Green Bay Packers
12:00 PM FOX/Sunday Ticket (check local listings)
Overview
Well, Green Bay almost won on Monday Night, now they face America's Favorite Hurricane Vagabonds, who are coming off their first "home" win.
Key Matchup
Brett Favre vs New Orleans Secondary
We all know when Brett gets desperate he throws the ball up for grabs. He's done it his whole career.
Key player for New Orleans
Joe Horn
Look for him and Donte Stallworth to go off on Green Bay's woeful secondary
Key player for Green Bay
Ahman Green
Green needs to get going. Period.
Tale of the Tape
| Category | Edge | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Saints offense vs. Packers defense | New Orleans | Pack can't stop much of anything these days. |
| Packers offense vs. Saints defense | New Orleans | Favre and recievers showed some signs of life, but it's not going to be enough against the New Orleans defense |
| Special Teams | Push | There are no winners here |
| Coaching | Push | I wouldn't trust either of these coaches with a game plan. |
| Intangibles | Push | That whole "frozen tundra" thing only counts when it's actually cold and the Pack have a good team. |
Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys
3:15 PM Fox (KTBC 7)
Overview
At the beginning of the season, the Cowboys looked like the biggest challengers to the Eagles' dominance. Now the Cowboys will be lucky to win this game.
Key Matchup
Terrence Newman/Anthony Henry vs Terrell Owens
As bad as Dallas's safeties are playing pass coverage these days, Newman and Henry might as well be single-covering Owens every play. Let's hope they took notes from DeAngelo Hall's Week 1 performance. Let's also hope Mike Zimmer puts one of these guys on him every play because if Aaron Glenn's on him, well, see Brunell-to-Moss from Week 2 for a preview.
Key player for Dallas
Rob Pettiti
I know, I know, it's the second time I've had him as a key player, but it's the first time the rookie has had to face the Eagles defense, and you can bet Jim Johnson's going to place his "Joker" on his side most of the plays.
Key player for Eagles
Donovan McNabb
He better be mobile, because the Cowboys will send the house if he isn't.
Tale of the Tape
| Category | Edge | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cowboys offense vs. Eagles defense | Philadelphia | I don't think Drew Bledsoe will be upright enough to make much of a difference. And Julius Jones will be stuffed all day. |
| Eagles offense vs. Cowboys defense | Philadelphia | Single coverage favors the offense in the NFL, and since the safeties are really no help even when they're supposed to help, Terrell Owens will have a great day |
| Special Teams | Philadelphia | Let's face it, this is basically David Akers vs. Jose Cortez. |
| Coaching | Push | While Andy Reid may not have Parcells' rings, he is very much his equal when it comes to in-game coaching. |
| Intangibles | Philadelphia | Let's face it, all is right in Philly and it isn't in Dallas. Dallas can't close out opponents or put distance on their opponents. |
Monday: Weekend Wrap-Up
Thursday, October 6, 2005
Wednesday, October 5, 2005
OU-Texas leaving Dallas?
T-3 Days to the Red River Shootout
Yeah, it's been discussed before, and it's been a story for months, but as the game draws closer, there's been a lot of talk about the Red River Shootout becoming a home-and-home series.
Basically, the issue here is the Cotton Bowl itself. The City of Dallas, which maintains the Texas State Fair grounds on which the Cotton Bowl stadium sits, has let the stadium fall into disrepair since they allegedly fixed it up for the 1994 World Cup.
How bad is it? Friends of mine that have gone to the OU-Texas game have told me that they have to "hold it" for the whole game because the toilets are backed up.
And no offense to those from the neigborhood, but all my friends from the Metroplex tell me that Fair Park is "no man's land".
They had an opportunity to build a new Cotton Bowl on the site for the Cowboys, but red tape ruined the project. So they lost the Cowboys to Arlington when they approved a bond measure to build a new stadium. Their only regular tenant, Major League Soccer's FC Dallas, just moved to a new facility in suburban Collin County.
Now, Dallas runs the risk of sacrificing hundreds of millions of tourist dollars a year as OU and Texas are talking about letting the contract with the city of Dallas expire. And millions more as the Cotton Bowl is also threatening to move to the Cowboys' new facility.
You know, if someone out there is willing to step up and build a new site for the State Fair, Dallas just may lose that too.
Ordinarily I'm opposed to stadium projects because the alleged economic benefits created are simply the result of shifting spending from one part of a city to another. In this case, however, it's tourism dollars, meaning people from out of town are spending money in the City of Dallas itself. That means extra sales tax revenue. That also means more hotel tax revenue.
That tourism money from the annual OU-Texas game and the Cotton Bowl will be lost to Norman, Austin, and Arlington if the City isn't careful. A little investment could go a long way here.
Not only that, Oklahoma City has a nice downtown. So does Austin. A lot of people from those areas go to the game, see Fair Park and the Cotton Bowl, and don't come away with a very good impression of Dallas proper.
Combine that with the fact that it's really to both school's advantage to have that extra home game every other year. Why spend money to go to Dallas to an ugly stadium in a bad neighborhood where the toilets are overflowing and the locker rooms are bad, and where each only gets half the gate and no additional TV money other than what they get from the Big 12 TV deal, when you can have that big OU-Texas game at home every other year and collect home team gate?
And the Cotton Bowl game? At some point the BCS is going to add a 5th New Year's Day game. The Cotton Bowl would be only one with the corporate sponsorship to offer a BCS-type payout. Also, it's the the only New Year's Day game not in the currently in the BCS that has hosted a #1 vs. #2 game in it's history, and it's one of the oldest New Year's Day games. However, no one's going to want to play college football's ultimate game in the dump that currently houses the Cotton Bowl game.
The Fiesta Bowl's getting new digs with all the luxury boxes, and so is the Sugar Bowl because they have to tear down the Superdome. The current Cotton Bowl stadium won't be interesting to the BCS people, but the new stadium in Arlington just might be enough to propel the Cotton Bowl game back to major bowl statius.
Bottom line: Dallas needs the tourism dollars for this game, the Cotton Bowl game, and the State Fair, and they better plunk down the money to build a new stadium, fix up the fairgrounds, and improve the neighborhood . Otherwise, one of the greatest neutral site games in college history is going to be lost, and the Cotton Bowl and State Fair might not be far behind.
Yeah, it's been discussed before, and it's been a story for months, but as the game draws closer, there's been a lot of talk about the Red River Shootout becoming a home-and-home series.
Basically, the issue here is the Cotton Bowl itself. The City of Dallas, which maintains the Texas State Fair grounds on which the Cotton Bowl stadium sits, has let the stadium fall into disrepair since they allegedly fixed it up for the 1994 World Cup.
How bad is it? Friends of mine that have gone to the OU-Texas game have told me that they have to "hold it" for the whole game because the toilets are backed up.
And no offense to those from the neigborhood, but all my friends from the Metroplex tell me that Fair Park is "no man's land".
They had an opportunity to build a new Cotton Bowl on the site for the Cowboys, but red tape ruined the project. So they lost the Cowboys to Arlington when they approved a bond measure to build a new stadium. Their only regular tenant, Major League Soccer's FC Dallas, just moved to a new facility in suburban Collin County.
Now, Dallas runs the risk of sacrificing hundreds of millions of tourist dollars a year as OU and Texas are talking about letting the contract with the city of Dallas expire. And millions more as the Cotton Bowl is also threatening to move to the Cowboys' new facility.
You know, if someone out there is willing to step up and build a new site for the State Fair, Dallas just may lose that too.
Ordinarily I'm opposed to stadium projects because the alleged economic benefits created are simply the result of shifting spending from one part of a city to another. In this case, however, it's tourism dollars, meaning people from out of town are spending money in the City of Dallas itself. That means extra sales tax revenue. That also means more hotel tax revenue.
That tourism money from the annual OU-Texas game and the Cotton Bowl will be lost to Norman, Austin, and Arlington if the City isn't careful. A little investment could go a long way here.
Not only that, Oklahoma City has a nice downtown. So does Austin. A lot of people from those areas go to the game, see Fair Park and the Cotton Bowl, and don't come away with a very good impression of Dallas proper.
Combine that with the fact that it's really to both school's advantage to have that extra home game every other year. Why spend money to go to Dallas to an ugly stadium in a bad neighborhood where the toilets are overflowing and the locker rooms are bad, and where each only gets half the gate and no additional TV money other than what they get from the Big 12 TV deal, when you can have that big OU-Texas game at home every other year and collect home team gate?
And the Cotton Bowl game? At some point the BCS is going to add a 5th New Year's Day game. The Cotton Bowl would be only one with the corporate sponsorship to offer a BCS-type payout. Also, it's the the only New Year's Day game not in the currently in the BCS that has hosted a #1 vs. #2 game in it's history, and it's one of the oldest New Year's Day games. However, no one's going to want to play college football's ultimate game in the dump that currently houses the Cotton Bowl game.
The Fiesta Bowl's getting new digs with all the luxury boxes, and so is the Sugar Bowl because they have to tear down the Superdome. The current Cotton Bowl stadium won't be interesting to the BCS people, but the new stadium in Arlington just might be enough to propel the Cotton Bowl game back to major bowl statius.
Bottom line: Dallas needs the tourism dollars for this game, the Cotton Bowl game, and the State Fair, and they better plunk down the money to build a new stadium, fix up the fairgrounds, and improve the neighborhood . Otherwise, one of the greatest neutral site games in college history is going to be lost, and the Cotton Bowl and State Fair might not be far behind.
Tuesday, October 4, 2005
Rangers part with Rogers; Benson has parting Shots for Brown
T-minus 4 Days to the Red River Shootout
Benson: Texas needed "better preparation for OU"
Cedric Benson recently took a parting shot at Mack Brown's preparations for the OU game.(DMN)
Rangers to Kenny Rogers: Don't let the door hit you on the way out
In what's probably the final chapter in the Kenny Rogers saga in Texas, The Rangers have announced that they will not re-sign Kenny Rogers.
What started out with barbs being traded in spring training, continued with the Rangers accusing Rogers via the media of taking a game off to avoid a good team, and reached it's climax when Rogers put a cameraman in a hospital, ended with a phone call from Rangers management to Rogers's answering machine.
Frankly, it's upsetting and a little sad that it came to this because Kenny Rogers stuck with the Rangers franchise for a long time when a lot of other players would jump from that perpetual train wreck, and he's one of the best pitchers in Rangers history. He deserved a lot better in his remaining Major League years from the Rangers than what he got.
He pitched a perfect game for the Rangers! Nolan Ryan didn't even do that! And it ends with back-and-forth between player and management and an answering machine call?
They say John Hart is the next to go. He better be.
Benson: Texas needed "better preparation for OU"
Cedric Benson recently took a parting shot at Mack Brown's preparations for the OU game.(DMN)
When asked earlier this year what it would take for UT to finally beat OU, Benson, now with the Chicago Bears, didn't hold back.I've seen all the OU-Texas games for the last 5 years, and frankly he's right. OU has come into the game playing to win and Texas has always played not to lose. (If you've played or watched sports long enough, you know those are two different things.)
"It will take better preparation of the players for that particular day," Benson said during an ESPN radio interview. "Not by cussing them, not by running them. Just by showing them the game plan, so they understand the game plan and have them understand OU's game plan. It's going to take better preparation by the coaches."
Then when asked if UT coaches were trying not to lose the game instead of planning to win it, Benson said: "Yeah. Without a doubt."
Rangers to Kenny Rogers: Don't let the door hit you on the way out
In what's probably the final chapter in the Kenny Rogers saga in Texas, The Rangers have announced that they will not re-sign Kenny Rogers.
What started out with barbs being traded in spring training, continued with the Rangers accusing Rogers via the media of taking a game off to avoid a good team, and reached it's climax when Rogers put a cameraman in a hospital, ended with a phone call from Rangers management to Rogers's answering machine.
Frankly, it's upsetting and a little sad that it came to this because Kenny Rogers stuck with the Rangers franchise for a long time when a lot of other players would jump from that perpetual train wreck, and he's one of the best pitchers in Rangers history. He deserved a lot better in his remaining Major League years from the Rangers than what he got.
He pitched a perfect game for the Rangers! Nolan Ryan didn't even do that! And it ends with back-and-forth between player and management and an answering machine call?
They say John Hart is the next to go. He better be.
Monday, October 3, 2005
Weekend Wrap-Up: "Let the Red River Shootout hype begin" Edition
Well, Texas beat Missouri, and OU beat Kansas State.
The Red River Shootout hype can officially begin.
Yes, even though the game has lost a bit of it's luster with OU's horrid start, Texas still needs to get over this mental block if it wants to maintain it's current place in the BCS Championship Game.
So sit back and enjoy the hype.
BTW, I was in kind of a rush and didn't get to check my RSS reader for blog recaps or formulate the Blogpoll. All that stuff will be back next week.
Baseball
(Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle)
Congratulations to the Houston Astros on making the playoffs for the second straight year.
If they get some hitting in the postseason, maybe they can make the World Series. Ah, who am I kidding?
Colleges
Big Story of the Week: Texas A&M survives scare from Baylor
This is why Baylor is near the bottom of the barrel of college football, they lose the games they dominate.
For those who wondered how Carl Torbush's defense would show up after getting lambasted: They only allowed 13 points to Baylor and tightened up in the red zone.
Baylor managed to keep A&M's offense in check until overtime. On offense, however, Baylor really didn't have the assets at wide reciever to beat A&M's bad secondary.
Other Big 12 Scores
Texas 51, Missouri 20
Believe it or not, Texas came out misfiring in this game and still managed to beat Missouri by 31.
Nebraska 27, Iowa State 20
Every time Iowa State thinks they are hot stuff, Nebraska always seems to be the one that smacks them back down to the bottom
Texas Tech 30, Kansas 17
Well, Kansas at least held Cody Hodges to a "pedestrian" 333 yards and 6.4 per attempt.
Oklahoma 43, Kansas State 21
Despite the win, Adrian Peterson injured his ankle yesterday. If Alabama's Tyrone Prothro hadn't gotten hurt in such a way that gave people flashbacks to Tim Krumrie's freak injury in Super Bowl XXIII, Peterson would have been the injury story of the day.
Colorado 34, Oklahoma State 0
OSU takes the collar against a defense that made Miami's Kyle Wright look like a competent QB last week. Think the Cowboys have serious offensive issues?
Our Adopted Team
Tulane 28, SE Louisiana 21
Way to close for comfort against a team of that caliber
Around the State
Memphis 27, UTEP 20
So much for Mike Price's Miners going undefeated. But then 6 turnovers will kill anyone's dreams of going undefeated, no matter who the program is. Credit goes to DeAngelo Hall for racking up an ungodly 236 yards.
TCU 49, New Mexico 28
Meanwhile, TCU's Mountain West Title hopes are still alive after their thrashing of New Mexico.
Marshall 16, SMU 13
All right, now can we put Phil Bennett on the hotseat, SMU? Face it, Ponies, you got a head coach that doesn't have what it takes to win at the D-I level.
Houston 30, Tulsa 23
Stat of the game: Former Texas Tech assistant Art Briles, whose offenses are never known for their running gamr, put up 200 yards. Two bills!
NFL
Oakland 19, Dallas 13
Permit me to vent for a moment. I'm getting really sick of watching the Cowboys play these games so close. The Cowboys, with their defense and it's blitz packages, their offensive line opening holes for Julius Jones and keeping Drew Bledsoe on his feet, their running game controlling the clock, and their recievers getting decent balls from Bledsoe, the Cowboys should be winning these games by a lot more. A lot more. There's no excuse for them being within 6 points of Oakland. None whatsoever.
Game Ball: Jason Witten
The Cowboys' most consistent option all day with 5 catches
New Orleans 19, Buffalo 7
New Orleans is still a road team, but at least for one day, they felt like they were right at home
From the AP:
They showed up, they were loud, they made it feel like the Superdome. Actually, check that, they made it feel like a college rivalry game, and I mean that as a compliment.
Cincinnati 16, Houston 10
Despite the Bengals of their losing years making a brief appearance in the first half, the 2005 Bengals finally showed up and kept up their unblemished record.
By the way, for those who think it was a good idea to promote offensive line coach Joe Pendry to offensive coordinator after his O-line left David Carr battered and bruised the first two weeks: David Carr was sacked 7 times.
Game Ball: Domanick Davis
Almost singlehandedly kept Houston in this game
Monday Night Football vs. CSI:Miami
This Week's Monday Night Football (Green Bay at Carolina):
If this were 2004, and Carolina had been healthy, this might have been an intriguing matchup. Unfortunately, it's 2005, the Pack is 0-4, Bret Favre is showing his age, the game is away from Lambeau, and Carolina has a better team. Yikes!
This Week's CSI:Miami ("Prey"):
From Yahoo! TV Listings:
Seriously, though, sounds creepy, and worth watching.
The Verdict
Thank you Green Bay for stinking so bad so I can finally catch a CSI episode.
CSI:Miami
The Red River Shootout hype can officially begin.
Yes, even though the game has lost a bit of it's luster with OU's horrid start, Texas still needs to get over this mental block if it wants to maintain it's current place in the BCS Championship Game.
So sit back and enjoy the hype.
BTW, I was in kind of a rush and didn't get to check my RSS reader for blog recaps or formulate the Blogpoll. All that stuff will be back next week.
Baseball
(Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle)Congratulations to the Houston Astros on making the playoffs for the second straight year.
If they get some hitting in the postseason, maybe they can make the World Series. Ah, who am I kidding?
Colleges
Big Story of the Week: Texas A&M survives scare from Baylor
This is why Baylor is near the bottom of the barrel of college football, they lose the games they dominate.
For those who wondered how Carl Torbush's defense would show up after getting lambasted: They only allowed 13 points to Baylor and tightened up in the red zone.
Baylor managed to keep A&M's offense in check until overtime. On offense, however, Baylor really didn't have the assets at wide reciever to beat A&M's bad secondary.
Other Big 12 Scores
Texas 51, Missouri 20
Believe it or not, Texas came out misfiring in this game and still managed to beat Missouri by 31.
Nebraska 27, Iowa State 20
Every time Iowa State thinks they are hot stuff, Nebraska always seems to be the one that smacks them back down to the bottom
Texas Tech 30, Kansas 17
Well, Kansas at least held Cody Hodges to a "pedestrian" 333 yards and 6.4 per attempt.
Oklahoma 43, Kansas State 21
Despite the win, Adrian Peterson injured his ankle yesterday. If Alabama's Tyrone Prothro hadn't gotten hurt in such a way that gave people flashbacks to Tim Krumrie's freak injury in Super Bowl XXIII, Peterson would have been the injury story of the day.
Colorado 34, Oklahoma State 0
OSU takes the collar against a defense that made Miami's Kyle Wright look like a competent QB last week. Think the Cowboys have serious offensive issues?
Our Adopted Team
Tulane 28, SE Louisiana 21
Way to close for comfort against a team of that caliber
Around the State
Memphis 27, UTEP 20
So much for Mike Price's Miners going undefeated. But then 6 turnovers will kill anyone's dreams of going undefeated, no matter who the program is. Credit goes to DeAngelo Hall for racking up an ungodly 236 yards.
TCU 49, New Mexico 28
Meanwhile, TCU's Mountain West Title hopes are still alive after their thrashing of New Mexico.
Marshall 16, SMU 13
All right, now can we put Phil Bennett on the hotseat, SMU? Face it, Ponies, you got a head coach that doesn't have what it takes to win at the D-I level.
Houston 30, Tulsa 23
Stat of the game: Former Texas Tech assistant Art Briles, whose offenses are never known for their running gamr, put up 200 yards. Two bills!
NFL
Oakland 19, Dallas 13
Permit me to vent for a moment. I'm getting really sick of watching the Cowboys play these games so close. The Cowboys, with their defense and it's blitz packages, their offensive line opening holes for Julius Jones and keeping Drew Bledsoe on his feet, their running game controlling the clock, and their recievers getting decent balls from Bledsoe, the Cowboys should be winning these games by a lot more. A lot more. There's no excuse for them being within 6 points of Oakland. None whatsoever.
Game Ball: Jason Witten
The Cowboys' most consistent option all day with 5 catches
New Orleans 19, Buffalo 7
New Orleans is still a road team, but at least for one day, they felt like they were right at home
From the AP:
Aaron Brooks saw an opening and bolted. Crossing the goal line just ahead of a defender, he spiked the ball and raised his arms to celebrate.Game Ball: San Antonio Fans
That's when he heard it: the deafening roar of a crowd cheering for the New Orleans Saints.
They showed up, they were loud, they made it feel like the Superdome. Actually, check that, they made it feel like a college rivalry game, and I mean that as a compliment.
Cincinnati 16, Houston 10
Despite the Bengals of their losing years making a brief appearance in the first half, the 2005 Bengals finally showed up and kept up their unblemished record.
By the way, for those who think it was a good idea to promote offensive line coach Joe Pendry to offensive coordinator after his O-line left David Carr battered and bruised the first two weeks: David Carr was sacked 7 times.
Game Ball: Domanick Davis
Almost singlehandedly kept Houston in this game
Monday Night Football vs. CSI:Miami
This Week's Monday Night Football (Green Bay at Carolina):
If this were 2004, and Carolina had been healthy, this might have been an intriguing matchup. Unfortunately, it's 2005, the Pack is 0-4, Bret Favre is showing his age, the game is away from Lambeau, and Carolina has a better team. Yikes!
This Week's CSI:Miami ("Prey"):
From Yahoo! TV Listings:
When a teenage tourist goes missing, the team investigates the dark side of Miami's nightclub scene.Dark Side? As opposed to the side that the Miami Nightclub Scene Jedi Knights are on?
Seriously, though, sounds creepy, and worth watching.
The Verdict
Thank you Green Bay for stinking so bad so I can finally catch a CSI episode.
CSI:Miami
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