67 days until the Louisiana-Monroe game.
Now we know we are getting close. Media days. July 29th is the big day for the Horns. The schools do not announce what players they are bringing to the media event, but ESPN's Tim Griffin has his wish list.
KU Sports muses over the Colt McCoy vs.Vince Young issue in Texas football history.
I think Big 12 fans think of McCoy as a really good QB. Statistically, he is far and away the best to ever play at Texas. But I get the feeling he's not historically great just yet in the eyes of Longhorns fans.
That's because historically great at Texas tips the scale in favor of trophies over stats. Particularly now, in an age where throwing for 300 yards in the Big 12 is hardly front-page news. No, historically great at Texas can be summed up by Keith Jackson in three words: "Vince...Young...scores."
McCoy isn't quite on that historical level, but he's close. Texas is a consensus Top 5 team this season, and much of the reason is because of McCoy's leadership and experience. He should be a finalist again for the Heisman Trophy and the Longhorns have every intent of playing for the BCS Championship.
If McCoy wins the Heisman — Vince Young never did — and leads Texas to a BCS Championship this season, he won't only be the best quarterback in UT football history, but perhaps the greatest player to ever wear a Longhorns uniform.
Such are the expectations at Texas.
Tim Griffin is still counting down his list of the Big 12's most memorable football games. The 2001 UT-Colorado game comes in at No. 11. Sorry I missed No. 22. It is a much better memory for the Horns.
I'm sure you have heard, but Sergo Kindle ran into a wall (literally) and suffered a concussion.
"I don’t think we lost this tournament," said Texas head coach Augie Garrido, fighting back
tears of his own after the game. "LSU won it. They did everything they needed to
beat us, twice. They deserve to be champions."
We have absolutely nothing to complain about.
But Augie sure tried. He motivated his players, coaching until the end. Eventually, you just have to sit back and let the game unfold as it will.
And maybe that was his game plan after all. As a veteran of this sport, the man knows when to allow his players the freedom to form their own destinies.
In the end, it was the Tigers against the Horns on the field, and eventually the Tigers simply decided to outplay their burnt orange counterparts. To no one’s fault, not even Augie’s, Lousiana State cashed in on its nine-year CWS drought with a stellar performance that turned the Longhorns from a team of destiny to just another case of too little luck too late.
The College World Series was a ratings bonanza for ESPN.
Oh, please. And just how many times has A&M been to the college world series?
Bob Stoops is starting the press tour early. He is already pushing the Sooner defense. And he is really sorry for being such a jerk to the Sooner fan base.
"I do apologize about calling you out before the Texas Tech game," Stoops said. "I did not mean to offend anybody. I was challenging you, though. Let's face it: anybody have fun at that game?"
Stoops' challenge last November was clear: OU fans aren't loud enough. They cheer just fine, but they don't punish visitors with an unrelenting crush of noise. His team needed just that, he said, when it was to face the No. 2-ranked Red Raiders in a few days.
We really liked your special teams play last year. OU published the special teams depth chart and Stoops talks about the players who missed spring workouts because of injury.
We get to see Bob's face on the sideline of the Cotton Bowl until 2015. Not only did Bob Stoops receive a lot of money from the OU athletic department, but the school did as well.
Not surprisingly, the headline-grabbing news coming out of yesterday's OU Board of Regents meeting in Ardmore was this: "Stoops is college football's $5 million man."
Equally not surprising was that this headline didn't receive similar attention: "OU athletics give $3 million to academics."
In fact, the OU football coaching staff cleaned up. Not bad for losing the national championships how many times?
MIke Gundy will be around, too, even though he hasn't signed his contract.
The OSU/A&M Board of Regents announced last December that it had approved a new seven-year contract worth $15.7 million for Gundy, who is 27-23 in four seasons at his alma mater.
The contract, which went into effect Jan. 1, 2009 and runs through December 2015, pays Gundy an annual compensation of more than $2.2 million per season. His previous six-year contract, which escalated in value each season, was worth $1,053,000 in 2008.
Six months after it was approved, Gundy has yet to place his John Hancock on the dotted line. Not to worry, according to Holder.
Some guy named Geoff in Oklahoma has quite a bit if time on his hands. He spent hours researching which Okie school has a better basketball program. Looks like the Sooners win again.
Overall record: OU 1,468-936 (.611) OSU 1452-1018 (.588).
Bedlam Wins: OU 126, OSU 89
Winning coaches: OU 10, OSU 6
All-Americans: OU 22, OSU 17
Conference titles: OU 22, OSU 17
1,000-point scorers: OU 35, OSU 30
Draft selections: OU 42, OSU 32
NCAA appearances: OU 26, OSU 23
Home-court win streak: OU 51, OSU 46
It is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
-Dr. Carl Sagan
This is an Aggie joke, right? The Tuscaloosa (Ala.) News put out their annual ranking of the top football programs and A&M came in at No. 19.
(Video music may not be NSFW.)
The New York Times college football blog The Quad ranks Kansas at No. 70 in the 120 to 1 2009 countdown.
Colorado's Dan Hawkins is very optimistic about the Buffs chances this season.
Despite a 13-24 record through his first three seasons in Boulder, Hawkins didn't cringe when a reporter asked him Thursday if the Buffs were in position to make a run at the Big 12 title this fall.
"Do we have the potential to do that? Yes, we do," Hawkins said after a long pause. "But you've got to get hot, you've got to get some confidence going, you've got to avoid injuries. And then you never know how those things will go. But I think we're definitely getting closer to knocking on the door."
Big 12 Sports asked some sports writers to rank the games of the 2008 season. We probably have some idea about what will come in at No. 1.
As far as we're concerned, we already have. The Big 12 appears ready to surpass the SEC in football.
ESPN's Tim Griffin really wants football season to get here. He's fantasizing about Big 12- SEC match ups.
This is the only sports channel that we do not have that we desperately want: Big 12 Network. Maybe one day...
Dr. Saturday looks at pass vs. run in college football. And he has a hand-out.
As if you couldn't see this one coming. The college football playoff proposal was sacked.
And finally...
Our thoughts go out to former Tech quarterback Graham Harrell, his father and his family. Sam Harrell, long time Ennis High School head football coach, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis four years ago but just let the public know about his condition. We wish Coach Harrell a very long and properous life and career.
0 recs | 52 comments
"67 days until the Louisiana-Monroe game."
You know what would be awesome? If PB started the countdown to football in picture form like he did a few years ago.*
*Has it been years already? I feel old.
bamfor - June 28, 2009
agreed. That was always good for some daily fun. nt.
vivalonghorns05 - June 28, 2009
I really mean to respond to both yours and GoBR's comments
It was fun towards the end when he was running out of pictures. Though i do understand that he’s swamped with law school and his various other activities and doesn’t have time to maintain a blog in the offseason. But the countdown was still a fun offseason, with 54B and TBone showing up and the launch of EDSBS live (it was that year right?)
bamfor - June 29, 2009
Unfortunately he doesn't have the time for it.
But the idea definitely came up.
Wescott Eberts (GoBR) - June 28, 2009
Louisiana-Monroe
Boy, I wish we had a better first opponent. It’s hard getting psyched for Louisiana-Monroe.
Caradoc - June 29, 2009
Colt-VY
I think Colt definitly has to win the national championship before he is on the VY level. I could care less about the heisman. The heisman is the most overrated award in all of sports. Its a popularity contest.
Longhorns84 - June 28, 2009
I really wish we could see UT vs LSU at Reliant stadium every year. That would be relatively neutral gournd. It would be an amazing atmospher here, and we would get a chance to compare the conferences every year. Unfortunately, because due to not having a play off system* and not wanting to give LSU any recruiting advantage, that will never happen.
The team that loses is most likely done; if we had play offs that took the conference champions (+ enough to get us to 8 or 16 depending on how its done) we’d get better games scheduled for no con.
UT_BKC - June 28, 2009
yeah, call the craptastic scheduling a hidden "BCS tax"...
I still say the best feature of a real playoff system would be in encouraging better non-conference schedules. Kind of like, say, basketball has…
There’s still a substantive economic disincentive at play – (why schedule a home-and-home when you can get some patsy to give you another home game?), but getting rid of the competitive disincentive to stronger schedules that the BCS brings us would certainly be a good start.
Pflash - June 28, 2009
'BCS tax', I love it!!!
That’s a great way to look at it. If we had a playoff (I am a proponent of the 12 team, NFL-style playoff) that rewarded not only conference champs but made strength of schedule (I would even add weight to OOC SOS over conference SOS) a major component for getting a ‘wild card’ or ‘at large’ spot, the regular season would get much better. The current stupidity of saying the regular season is already a playoff carries no weight, unless you ignore the fact that scheduling weak teams is the best way to avoid unnecessary losses. If you tell teams that scheduling top 25 level OOC opponents is the surest way to get into the playoff teams will line up to schedule each other since if they are really good teams they know that the early season loss can be rectified by winning their conference.
Rickyspub - June 29, 2009
In the incarnation of a twelve-team playoff that you envision, who gets into the dance? There are currently eleven conferences, so would it be the eleven conference champions plus one at-large team?
burntorangehorn - June 29, 2009
No, I would start with the 6 BCS conference champs and then choose 6 at-large teams using some sort of modified BCS or RPI like formula. Non-BCS teams would probably have a slightly easier road to getting an at-large similar to the current BCS model and you would probably need to limit the number of teams per conference to 2. The formula would be used to rank the teams for seeding. So the top 4 get first round byes, which would also add some emphasis to putting up a good regular season record.
Rickyspub - June 29, 2009
That’s not bad, I guess. That would mean that unless the six major conferences each were to get two teams into the playoff, the minor conferences plus independents would have adequate representation in the playoff. The downside to the two-team limit would be that deserving conferences like the Big 12 (UT/OU/TT) would have the same huge gripe as happened last year.
The RPI factor is one that I’ve been advocating for some time, I must say, because it’s the only way to ensure that a ratings basis doesn’t make it likely that Notre Dame makes it into the playoff almost every season. I sure as heck would hate to see ND get in based on a quota.
burntorangehorn - June 29, 2009
I don't think anything gets done that doesn't give the current BCS conferences a leg up...
Part of my plan is pragmatic. 12 teams would mean less games for some teams than would 16 games. But 12 is better than 8 in that you could ensure the BCS conferences their places at the table but still have enough spots for the other 5 conferences and independents (I would say no special clause to ND, though I am not sure we should limit to 2 the slots available to non-BCS conf. teams) to allow them some begrudging approval since this at least gives them a chance to play for the title unlike the current system which just gives them a piece of the financial pie but no real shot for the big game.
The 2 team per conference limit is also more in the realm of the pragmatic, though I must admit last year’s Big 12 in some ways shows the holes in the current ranking system considering 2 of our best 3 lost their bowl games. Ok, I’ll admit that bowls don’t really mean anything, but I would rather err on the side of diversity than the expectations that the third ranked team in a conference should have any real dibs on the national title.
Rickyspub - June 29, 2009
Yeah, I like the “BCS Tax” term too.
From what I’ve heard of the “Non Con Bowl games” (I heard this term used by an announcer last year to refer to two BCS teams playing at a neutral site. How sad that it’s such a big deal because it never happens) they have a pretty good pay out. Granted, not better than scheduling 2 home games over 2 years, but it sounded close to equivalent to scheduling a home-away with another team after you factor in not having to pay for anything but travel if it is somewhere close like Austin→Houston<-Baton Rouge.
UT_BKC - June 29, 2009
I think Reliant would be about as neutral as the Superdome—that is, not very. But it sure would be a heck of a lot nicer. I think a bigger concern is the recruiting. No way I would want LSU hosting recruits at a game in Houston.
burntorangehorn - June 29, 2009
School songs
Man, i was enjoying this until about 1/2 way through when Boomer Sooner started playing – sickening.
But alas, I am a homer as the best song by far was Texas Fight.
texascfo - June 29, 2009
Tuscaloosa (Ala.) News has bad info
Per the information on the link – he has Texas with only three national championships – my guess is he is not counting 1970?
texascfo - June 29, 2009
ya I kind of think of that one as the black sheep of the four
awarded by UPI or something? Wild west days of college football when anyone could be champion
owenh - June 29, 2009
shhh
acho81 - June 29, 2009
Heard bacj from the Alabama Reporter.
The analysis only included AP championships and the 1970 Texas team won the UPI but not AP – lost to ND in cotton bowl.
But what a mock – in 2003 his study has USC as the national champion because they were #1 in the AP poll. LSU won the BCS national championship game and is excluded from his analysis.
texascfo - June 30, 2009
Even if we win the national title
I would most likely not put Colt over VY. I am one of the strongest Colt supporters out there, arguing vehemently for his side during the Chiles-Colt debate in 2007 and the offseason afterwards. However, VY was just something special, an other-worldly athlete who could dominate games. I’m not going to hold not winning a Heisman against him; not only should he have in 2005, he would have the following year if he stayed. That’s also why I’m not going to look into stats too much; Vince could have stayed another year to balloon his stats, not to mention the fact that he was often sitting on the bench in ’05 after we kept blowing teams out.
Colt does some things better; obviously, he is a more accurate passer and he makes quick decisions. That may be his only advantages; VY takes it in every other category: size, athleticism, arm-strength, and leadership, though Colt is no slouch in those categories either. If I had to pick an All-Longhorn team, even with this new and improved Robo-Colt we saw last season, I’m picking VY to QB the team. Hands down. In fact, if I was building an All-College team, I have to think that VY is up there in the discussion.
People are too often swayed by what’s happening NOW rather than really looking at the context of the past, so it leads them to say things like Kobe Bryant is better than MJ, Tim Tebow is the best ever, Tom Brady is better than Joe Montana, etc. In this case, although VY just left in 2005, his recent NFL struggles and Colt’s rise to superstardom have already led many to suggest that Colt is better than Vince was, or at least he WILL be better than Vince. I don’t think even Colt would go that far. Vince Young is the finest Longhorn football player to don the uniform in the modern era (I’ll leave comparisons to him and Earl Campbell to you older folks), and even though I’m a big Colt supporter, and I cannot say Colt is on the same level or even will be.
TheElusiveShadow - June 29, 2009
I agree...
Colt is a great QB and does the normal QB things better than Vince (except in arm-strength), but Vince had that game-breaking ability with his feet that just can’t be rivaled. Colt might have a better skill set to make it in the NFL, but as a college baller VY is unparalleled.
The only rationale that I would consider for putting Colt over Vince is the fact that Colt stayed and if he puts up numbers similar to last year and leads us to the title he might out-distance VY in the career sense. Colt will own all the passing records and his 4-years of starting certainly deserve some merit.
So if you want to talk about best career UT QB it will be Colt, but if you want to talk about just plain best QB (UT or otherwise) its Vince.
Rickyspub - June 29, 2009
This is probably about right. It’s sort of like comparing Jim Brown to Walter Payton.
burntorangehorn - June 29, 2009
I just know that if Colt brings home the title
He at least shares the crown with Vince.
owenh - June 29, 2009
I feel the same
With Vince I would say, everything is okay because we have Vince and they don’t. I caught myself saying it about Colt last year vs. Tech.
Vince brought us a title, Colt has not. For now, Vince > Colt
run Bevo run - June 29, 2009
Too soon
It’s too soon to make the comparison. Let’s see what McCoy does his senior year.
Caradoc - June 30, 2009
Not really too soon
They both have 3 years under their belt.
run Bevo run - June 30, 2009
Give me 2005 VY over any college quarterback EVER.
He was THAT good.
Sunkist - June 29, 2009
i thought Colt at first...
but then I realized that if we had a National Championship Game vs. Oklahoma in one hour, I would choose Vince in a heartbeat. Last ten years team, QB Vince, RB Ricky, WR Roy, WR Jordan, WR Limas, TE David, DE Brian, DE Tim, DT Shaun, DT Cory, LB Sergio, LB Derrick, CB Aaron, CB Cedric, Safeties Michael and Michael.
acho81 - June 29, 2009
Cedric over Jammer?
Sunkist - June 29, 2009
my b
short memory
acho81 - June 30, 2009
A few thoughts
Redding mostly played DE in college. Casey Hampton was not only the best DT to come through recently, he pushed Shaun Rodgers to at least show us how good he could be.
You’re missing an LB. I suggest cloning DJ.
Nathan Vasher was one of the best play makers I’ve seen at CB in college. Not as physically gifted as Jammer or as big as Griffin but he could change the game in an instant.
learned hand - June 29, 2009
Redding never played DT in college
he was a DE, he wasn’t moved to DT until he was drafted by the Lions.
Still think they wasted his athletic talents.
Beergut - June 29, 2009
Yeah, I couldn't remember him playing a down at DT
But I guessed it might have happened on a handful of snaps. As for wasting his athletic talents, I agree. He was better than average, but he could have been amazing.
learned hand - June 29, 2009
Also, no love for the O-linemen?
learned hand - June 29, 2009
Offensive line is a tough one unless one moves a few guys around. I’d probably just go for:
LT Davis
LG Studdard
C Sendlein
RG Dockery
RT Williams
burntorangehorn - June 30, 2009
Just based on intimidation
You have to give the edge to VY. Colt is great and has all the records, but i’m sure every defensive coordinator in the nation would rather face Colt than VY. But im not sure i would write Colt off yet (just for this argument i mean). If he starts this season and is still completing 80% of his passes and just picking defenses apart he might give Vince a run for his money
shaqui chan - June 29, 2009
How many neutral site games are you guys going to propose
before we’re paying $1000 a year for tickets and only 3 games are at home?
College football should never be played in pro stadiums. Ever. I’ve been to college games at Reliant, Texas Stadium, the Alamodome, whatever. The atmosphere sucks. Furthermore, what the hell is so wrong with DKR that we can’t get home-and-homes with all these teams? And I would love a road trip to Baton Rouge or Tuscaloosa or South Bend. Why the hell does EVERY big game have to be in some lifeless, gargantuan, indoor stadium? Why isn’t Texas vs. LSU or Bama or Notre Dame in Austin good enough?
Honestly, I don’t get it.
bassale47 - June 29, 2009
agreed
college football was not meant to be played indoors. It crushes me seeing national champions crowned in the Louisiana Superdome or the Phoenix Toaster.
acho81 - June 29, 2009
$$$$
I think neutral site games end up being a big payout for both teams rather than getting a payday when the game is on your turf and then losing a payday the year when the game is on the road. I would assume a neutral site splits the tickets between the two teams and then they charge a higher price for those tickets, thus giving almost home-game revenue to both teams.
While I don’t like neutral site games because, as you say, they are passionless affairs, I have to admit getting a neutral site win against a good team probably has more polling value than that same win on your home turf.
Rickyspub - June 30, 2009
It didn't have any polling value last year.
bassale47 - June 30, 2009
Touche...
I was thinking more of the OOC neutral site game rather than an in-conference one where you will also be judged based on common opponents. I would also say the RRS is an anomaly in the atmosphere/passion arena of most neutral site games. To me the discussion is more about setting up a one-time, neutral site OOC game where there is no longstanding rivalry between the teams.
Rickyspub - June 30, 2009
I think there’s a very short list of venues that could offer something, whether atmosphere, size, or whatever, that would make it worth holding an event there. Lambeau would be an awesome place for UW to host a big opponent, Soldier Field would be great for several teams (including Notre Dame) to consider, Jerryworld (because of the size and state-of-the-art features) would be great for most Texas teams, maybe Candlestick for Cal or Stanford, Arrowhead for KU, KSU, Mizzou, or Nebraska, etc.
burntorangehorn - June 30, 2009
Edit: Jerryworld should only be considered once it actually follows through on the capacity increase to 100K. Until then, 80K capacity and the bells and whistles aren’t remarkable enough to overcome the lack of mystique, tradition, etc.
burntorangehorn - June 30, 2009
i hate the way that its indoors
acho81 - June 30, 2009
retractable roof
plus has breezeways.
run Bevo run - June 30, 2009
the rankings by that Alabama paper
take all-time history into account for half of their formula, the previous season’s results into account for the other half.
That is the reason we’re #19.
Beergut - June 29, 2009
well
Apparently, Oklahoma believes in rewarding their football coaches when they actually win a conference title, not for asterisked conferences titles athletic administrators believe they should have won.
Beergut - June 29, 2009
A bit ironic
that you come here posting this crap when the same type of thing would get someone banned on your site. Nobody here cares about your take on conference championships. Your team isn’t likely to win one again in your lifetime. Do us all a favor and go away.
bassale47 - June 30, 2009
Honestly, if a national title is really a MNC, OU should only claim a MCC for last season.
burntorangehorn - June 30, 2009
What was their record again
Oh yeah, worse than ours.
run Bevo run - June 30, 2009
Don’t remind me.
OU sucks.
burntorangehorn - July 1, 2009
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