Not that you should really be surprised, but the BCS has officially put Texas and Alabama in the National Championship game at the Rose Bowl on January 7, 2010. Alabama was the unanimous #1, finishing at the top of both human polls and the computer poll. Texas finished #2 in both human polls and finished #3 in the computer poll behind Cincinnati, who interestingly enough looks like they would have been in the title game if Texas lost to Nebraska.
I have been reading quite a bit of talk about how Alabama is going to roll over Texas. Everyone needs to relax. Maybe those people should go back and watch game film of the Alabama vs Tennessee game and the Alabama vs Auburn. Alabama is just as lucky (if not luckier) than Texas to be playing for the National Championship.
And just so you know, Texas has a 7-0-1 record against Alabama, dating back to the days of Darrell Royal and Bear Bryant. Hook ‘em. See you in California!
Want to watch the entire in high resolution on your computer? Hulu.com has the game up in remarkably good quality. Enjoy…
I think I could watch Quan Cosby’s game winning touchdown over and over again, and now I can.
The Fiesta Bowl isn’t the only game up on Hulu, you can also watch stuff like the US Army All-American game and the other BCS games as well.
Senior scored the Fiesta Bowl’s gamewinning touchdown but without question true freshman lineman was the star of the game. Or more exactly, his incredibly sweet mullet was the star:
Poehlmann is a class of 2008 3-star recruit out of Brenham that a lot of people have high expectations for, but I think he just earned himself a lot of fans with that haircut. It was also great to see how fired up he was throughout the game. Hopefully he keeps on rocking it next year, but he seems like a good kid and I know I’ll be rooting for him when he gets his shot to play.
(via EDSBS)
Is Texas’ win enough to convince voters that the Longhorns deserve a share of the national title? Quarterback talks to ESPN about the big win, his performance (including 58 pass attempts), and of course abouth whether the Horns are the best team in the nation…
Can’t wait to see what Colt does in 2009.
Senior receiver Quan Cosby had the biggest game of his career in the Fiesta Bowl
Texas came up big in the to finish the season 12-1 and move to 3-0 in BCS bowl games. A good mixture of older guys and younger guys stepped up to give this Longhorn team a win that was fitting for this team and season. Nothing came easy for Texas against , but the leadership of this team ended up being too much for the Buckeyes.
- – I know Colt McCoy won the Offensive MVP award and it easy to give the top spot to the quarterback with the big numbers, but when Texas needed plays on third down and at the end of the game it was Cosby who stepped up and won the game. Cosby played inside more than normal to avoid Thorpe award winner Malcolm Jenkins and it paid off. Cosby had a career night in his last game as a Longhorn finishing with a career best 14 catches for 171 yards and two touchdowns.
- – The Defensive MVP came up huge in the second half of his last game at Texas. The Longhorn defense struggled to slow down the Ohio State run game and Beanie Wells in the first half but did a much better job in the last 30 minutes. Miller was dominant, he demanded double teams and plugged the inside holes allowing the Longhorn linebackers to run free. The big senior finished with three tackles, a sack, and a devastating block on fourth and short on a drive in the third quarter.
- – What can be said about Colt that hasn’t already been said? He should have won the Heisman, he should be playing for the National Championship, he has all the Texas passing records, he’s as clutch as you get, and he has a smoking hot girlfriend. Am I missing anything? In a game that appeared to be an inconsistent one for McCoy he still finished with a career best 414 yards on 41 of 58 including a pair of touchdowns. Ohio State bottled him up in the run game minus one 14 yard touchdown score.
- – The best defensive player in college football was the focus of the Ohio State blocking scheme. The Buckeyes were able to keep him out of the stat book for the most part, but they weren’t able to keep him from making an impact on the game. All night Ohio State kept a tight end and sometimes even a running back in to help block Orakpo. When they didn’t he got pressure on the outside on both Buckeye quarterbacks, obliterating Todd Boeckman late in the game. It took until the second to last play for ‘Rak’ to get his sack, but the play iced the game.
- – Thomas has quietly become one of the better players on the Texas defense. The red-shirt freshman has been the most consistent player in the secondary this year for Will Muschamp’s group. Thomas flies around the field and appears to be around the ball at all times. He also brings an attitude and swagger to a young secondary that needs it. Thomas led the team with nine tackles and two pass breakups.
- – The Texas run game was nonexistent for most of the game, and it seemed to be more about play calling than anything else. On the first play for the Texas offense Ogbonnaya got the edge and picked up eight yards before fumbling out of bounds. For the rest of the half Texas abandoned the run. In the second half the senior running back was able to make an impact on the ground, and maybe even more so through the air. McCoy was able to check down to Ogbonnaya on many occasions to set up manageable downs and distance and to pick up first downs. He also caught the longest pass of the game, a 37 yarder. Chris ‘O’ has been the most consistent back all year for Texas and his leadership has been immeasurable.
- – I’m not for celebrating an injury, but the hit that Muckelroy delivered on Beanie Wells ended the game for one of the best backs in the nation. Wells had run for over 100 yards on only 16 carries when the two met in the hole early in the fourth quarter. Muckelroy has led the team in tackles all year and continued to be all over the field Monday night. The junior finished with six tackles on the night.
- – The attention has gone to Cosby because of his performance, but Jordan Shipley played a great game as well. It was clear that Ohio State spent a lot of time attempting to take away Shipley’s plays over the middle of the field. Colt’s roommate, lifelong friend, and hunting buddy (in case you hadn’t heard) finished with 10 catches for 76 yards. It appeared that Cosby’s first touchdown reception was actually on a pass attended for Shipley. The NCAA granting the medical red-shirt for Shipley next year is huge for this offense.
- – It is amazing how far Melton has come. The Fiesta Bowl was a great showcase of Melton’s talent. The former running back is not as good of a pass rusher as Orakpo and Sergio Kindle, but he may be as good as an overall defensive end than both of those. Melton has a future in the NFL and he proved it Monday night against the Buckeyes. Melton was the best end at the point of attack all night, and took a lot of snaps away from Kindle. The senior finished with three tackles including a team leading two for a loss.
- – Chykie has become Texas’ lockdown corner. Ohio State tried to go to his side early but quickly abandoned that strategy. Brown has come a long way from the times when coaches worried about his practice habits and focus. Coming into the season some were wondering if the sophomore would ever live up to his athletic ability, now heading into the offseason the program will look for Brown to be a shutdown corner like Ohio State’s Malcolm Williams. The Ohio State passing attack struggled all night, and a lot of it had to do with Brown occupying the entire right side of the field.
- – Brandon Collins had more receptions and yards, but it was Kirkendoll that came up with the fourth down grab that kept the Longhorns alive. On the play Kirkendoll came in motion to the inside before running an arrow to the sideline. Texas caught the Buckeyes in man coverage and took advantage of the matchup. It says a lot about McCoy and the coaching staff that they trusted one of the younger receivers on such a crucial play. The sophomore from Round Rock just got the first down and a few plays later Texas was celebrating the winning score.
ESPN analyst Rod Gilmore does a good job breaking down the and the gamewinning drive led by and . Watch Gilmore and Scott Van Pelt break down the game below:
The one thing I don’t get is how they take that game and make it a case that the isn’t physical. Beanie Wells ran all over the Horns in the first half due to out of position linebackers and poor tackling by the secondary, not due to getting beat in the trenches. On the other side of the ball the offensive line didn’t play any worse than they had during conference play this season, it’s nothing new for Colt to be under constant pressure. It would be a thing of beauty to see what he could do in 2009 with better running game and blocking, hopefully we get to find out.
Our live stream of consciousness posted from @40acressports on Twitter from during the Fiesta Bowl is posted below:
- It was cool when they let blind guys sing the national anthem, but wasn’t letting a blind man design the Fiesta Bowl trophy enough? #UT 25 minutes ago
- @springnet 77 is Luke Poehlmann, a very promising true freshman lineman. He deserves to start in 09 just due to his sweet mullet. 31 minutes ago
- @HookEmSarah as Mack said this week, gatorade baths are for 7-5 coaches.
plus I’m sure there nothing but whining on #UT msg boards. 37 minutes ago - What a game. Congrats Horns on the big tough win. Congrats to the seniors. #UT 40 minutes ago
- I heart Quan and Brian Orakpo. Huge sack (and good job tackling QB too.) #UT 42 minutes ago
- ANnouncers are acting like this thing is over. #UT 44 minutes ago
- Unsportsmanlike could be huge. OSU kicker has big leg. Come on kickoff team. #UT 45 minutes ago
- Tressel’s challenge gives #UT much needed timeout. Horns should actually gain yards with review. 49 minutes ago
- That was a terrible initial spot. Clearly got first down. Replay will give it to #UT if spot doesn’t. 51 minutes ago
- #UT needs to be in bigger hurry. 56 minutes ago
- Not sure who #77 for #UT is but that mullet deserves playing time. 57 minutes ago
- There’s no such thing as double pass interference, whoevere initiated contact deserves the flag. #UT 58 minutes ago
- @joneke defense has been fantastic all game long. about an hour ago
- Absolutely terrible pass interference call. Beasley has right to ball and ball was way short. F***! #UT about an hour ago
- Well defended? Malcolm Williams was wide open and Colt just put it too wide. #UT about an hour ago
- 4th quarter! Wrap this thing up boys. #UT about an hour ago
- Attaboy Colt! You too Coach Davis. All three drives this half have been good ones (sans 20 yd sack.) #UT about an hour ago
- Matt Hasselback is the NFL qb you reference? Weird. Is Tim announcing the game? #UT about an hour ago
- When do you think we’ll see screen and go to Shipley? Looks set up well. #UT about an hour ago
- 4th and 36 and we can’t even punt for first down yardage. Momentum squandered. #UT about an hour ago
- Terrible play by Colt. Has to expect pressure on RB screen call. Drive killer. #UT about an hour ago
- Dear Greg Davis, finally a designed run for Colt and you get a beauty of a TD run for #UT. Let’s go defense!! about 2 hours ago
- #90 for Ohio St is dirty POS. 2nd time he clearly and intentionly went high with his hands on Colt. Hit was fine, hands to helmet isn’t. #UT about 2 hours ago
- Very good effort by R Bobino to get first down when there wasn’t much room on fake punt. #UT about 2 hours ago
- Fiesta Bowl trophy is one of the ugliest things on the planet. #UT about 2 hours ago
- Crap. Holding call turns 2nd and inches into 2nd and long. #UT about 2 hours ago
- Set your feet Colt. #UT about 2 hours ago
- @kbohls you have to be able to trust you junior QB not to take bad risk. That one is on Colt. #UT about 2 hours ago
- Bad underthrow by Colt costs #UT chance at at least tying FG. Huge mistake and momentum killer into halftime. about 2 hours ago
- False starts on wide receivers drive me bats***. #UT about 3 hours ago
- @kbohls blame out of position linebackers (due to play and blitzes) more than D-line for long runs. Agree about QB contain. #UT about 3 hours ago
- Getting the awful feeling opposing fans felt when VY was at quarterback. Glad Pryor has no clue about watching for 1st down markers. #UT about 3 hours ago
- 2nd and goal from 17 and we run a draw to Chris O? WTF? #UT about 3 hours ago
- Speaking of running, where’s Fozzy? #UT about 3 hours ago
- No attempts to get Colt McCoy running yet. Turn him loose Greg! #UT about 3 hours ago
- Better drive by #UT offense but inability to get positive yards on 2nd & short is killing us. about 3 hours ago
- Apparently that was a token holding call earlier, some pretty blatant ones on this series but we get pressure and S Kindle gets sack. #UT about 3 hours ago
- 1st freshman mistake for Pryor. Good run but stepped out before first down with no one about to hit him. Melton rushing out of control. #UT about 4 hours ago
- Woot!!!! Apparently holding still exists outside the Big 12! Good sign for Rak! #UT about 4 hours ago
- Chris Hall is playing. Retweeting @suzhalliburton: @40acressports They used the depth chart from A&M about 4 hours ago
- Chris Hall wasn’t on official depth chart for the game but #71 is in uniform at least for the Horns. Hope he’s 100% and starting. #UT about 4 hours ago
- RT @CedGolden: Is it me or is Barry Switzer wearing a burnt orange tie with a matching hanky? #UT about 4 hours ago
- Score predictions for #UT vs Ohio State: http://is.gd/eEb5 All three of us have the Horns winning a pretty close game. about 4 hours ago
- RT @bevobeat: Blaine Irby up and about. Horns’ injured tight end was out tossing the ball around in pregame. http://twitpic.com/100fd about 4 hours ago
- Ah oh: No Chris Hall on the 3 deep at center for Fiesta Bowl depth chart: http://is.gd/eDRj True frosh D Snow gets start. about 5 hours ago
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(Side note: This is the site’s 2,500th post. Kind of cool.)
Will McCoy be able to pick apart the Buckeyes' D?
The Texas Longhorns have a lot to prove tonight when they face the tenth ranked Ohio State Buckeyes in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. Texas fans have been screaming for months that they, not , deserved the chance to play for a national title and if they need to win tonight to help their case. The Buckeyes are the best defense the Horns have faced all season and if they can win and put big points on the scoreboard there’s still an outside shot of a split national title.
Check out our predictions for the game below…
Brian - Texas hasn’t faced a defense as tough as Ohio State’s all year long but there aren’t any Big 10 offenses in the same league as the high-powered led Longhorns. OSU’s young quarterback Terrelle Pryor will make a few plays but the Texas pass rush should also force some huge mistakes. I think is headed for a huge performance in his last game in the burnt orange. If the Horns slow down running back Beanie Wells than they win, it’s that simple. Texas 34 – Ohio State 21.
Matt - The rubber match between these two teams looks like it could be another instant classic. If you look at the major factors here, Texas clearly has the advantage. You have Colt McCoy versus a freshman, an offensive line that should dominate, and a defensive line that puts serious pressure with just their front four. Pryor looks like he will be a good qb, but he just doesn’t have the experience right now. I think will have a field day with him and Texas will control this game. Look for a close game early and then Texas will pull away late. Texas 38 – Ohio State 20.
Mike - Texas isn’t where they want to be. The team has to feel like they should be playing in Miami for the BCS championship. In years past the possibility of playing flat would be on everybody’s mind. The combination of the makeup of this team and the coaching staff has most believing the Longhorns will come to play Monday night. The game won’t be as easy as some are making it out to be because of Ohio State’s power running game and their defense which will be the best UT faces all year. Texas has too much speed and Will Muschamp will do everything he can to keep the Buckeyes true freshman quarterback off balance. It will be tight early, but expect the Longhorns to pull away late. Texas 31 – Ohio State 17
This year’s success can ultimately be traced back to last year’s bowl game. made a decision to work his team and open up competition at all positions. The result was a brand new football team than the one that lost to the Aggies. Out of the three BCS games that Texas has now been invited to, there is no doubt the 2009 has been greeted with the smallest fanfare.
However, Monday night’s game against is the biggest game of the year in many ways. Think about the two scenarios and the impact it will have on the program. Let’s say Texas wins. The Longhorns will finish the year 12-1 and likely the number two ranked team in the nation. And no matter what happens in the Orange Bowl the Longhorn nation will have months to lay claim to at least the chance to have played for the national title. The program will be 3-0 in BCS games and will not have lost a bowl game since many were talking about moving Vince Young to wide receiver.
If the Longhorns lose, and contrary to popular opinion it can happen, all the championship talk flies out the window. All the momentum the program built up over the last year will come to a halt and the national media will feel they made the right decision to put OU in Miami. One has to look no further than Texas Tech and Alabama.
Luckily, the Texas plays understand this better than the fan base. When talking to people in Phoenix it has amazed me how nonchalant the fans seem to be. Ohio State will be the second best team the Longhorns have been on the field with this season. Their young and ultra-talented clone of a quarterback has had six weeks to get better. The Buckeyes have a power run game that Texas’ hasn’t had to face and their tailback may be the best in the nation when he is healthy.
Yet, most feel the Longhorns will cruise. And hopefully they will, next year may hang in the balance.
The Longhorns enter this year’s as the favorites. Texas wants to prove a point and make a case for a split National against a team with great name recognition. Many are overlooking and the third ranked Longhorns are going to need more than and to finish the season with a victory and a likely number two ranking.
The sophomore from Longview has looked quicker and more explosive as the season has worn on. The feeling is that McGee has finally been healthy. With back in the lineup the onus is not all on McGee to produce in the run game. It has appeared that he does not relish the number one role. That is not necessarily a bad thing, not all backs are made to be work horses. McGee will come into the game and run hard. With Ohio State having to use linebackers in pass coverage expect the Longhorns to use the pass to set up the run. As the game goes on Texas should look to use the run game in similar fashion to their game against . McGee has shown a nose for the endzone and we’ll look to add one Monday night.
Texas will face the best cornerback in the nation when they face the Buckeyes’ Malcolm Jenkins. The Thorpe award winner will likely matchup with for most of the night and the coaching staff is sure to focus on taking away. This will force Texas to use another option, and with none being available at tight end, it will have to come from one of the extra receivers. Ohio State is physical in the secondary and out of all of the Longhorn receivers Williams possesses the best skill set to offset any advantage the Buckeye corners may have against and . Williams has shown the ability to get deep; I believe Texas will try to take a shot early in the game.
Alexander isn’t going to start, and he may not even play a ton of snaps. But this may be the best chance for Alexander to show his stuff heading into a crucial offseason for his career. The big nose tackle is a prototypical off center one gap tackle. The offenses that Texas faces in the Big 12 limit his effectiveness because of a lack of lateral speed. For the first time maybe all season, Texas is going to face a team that will show a heavy dose of downhill running. Texas’ two other tackles not named are former defensive ends. Will Muschamp will need the size of Alexander on obvious running downs throughout the game. If Alexander can take up blocks and hold his gap it will help the Longhorn linebackers control Ohio State’s ground game.
Much like Alexander, Norton finds himself a duck out of water when he faces the offenses in the Big 12. Norton excels playing downhill at his middle linebacker position and may in fact be the best NFL prospect of the group. Unfortunately for Norton, in the Big 12 a linebacker needs to play well laterally and in space. Norton to this point has had a hard time in both of those categories. Enter Ohio State and Beanie Wells. This will be a game Norton can thrive in. will likely get the start as the senior, but if Ohio State has success running the ball early, and maybe even if they don’t, Norton will become a factor in the game. The junior will be a sure starter next year and we’ve seen how a good bowl game can propel a player into a great offseason.
A lot of people think the true freshman from Leander’s job is in jeopardy this offseason. Most still view Gideon as an overachieving two star recruit who is playing because of his brains and intangibles. The talk heading into the spring will depend a lot on how Gideon plays in this game. If he comes out and plays a good game and makes a play or two the talk will quiet, but if he struggles or makes a huge play one of the major offseason hot topics will be the status of Gideon’s job. The word is the only thing holding Scott back is his work on the practice room and in the film room, if the light turns on in year three on campus the super athletic Scott will be in line for many more snaps in 2009. If he isn’t a transfer could be possible.
After getting bad news on Christmas, Texas fans awoke to more bad news on the first day of 2009. Three redshirting freshmen did not make the trip to Arizona for the due to various reasons. The three players are defensive tackle , linebacker and wide receiver , all of which are important four-star 2008 recruits. The Statesman reports that each of the players was left behind for a different reason and that none were “serious”.
Unsubstantiated (and hopefully untrue) rumors on Orangebloods are that Monroe is a grade casualty and “don’t expect him back.” That of course would be counter to what the Statesman is reporting that none of the three issues were serious and if true would cost the Horns a possible future dynamic playmaker. Losing Humphrey for the spring or longer would also be a huge blow at one of the team’s least deep positions.
While they obviously would not be playing in next Monday’s game against , bowl practices are a time when young players gain a great deal experience during the extra practice time and these guys are missing reps. Hopefully all three players are still in school and back on the practice field for spring football.
One of the most underrated and under talked about advantage of getting to a bowl game is the extra practices it affords the staff and the players. While teams do focus on preparing for the upcoming game, most teams invest a good amount of time practicing the redshirt players and some guys that played but didn’t see significant minutes. These practices serve as a spring board for spring ball for the team and the individual players. Last year’s practices are when names like and began to pop up. Texas would like a few guys to step up this year, much like last year’s team was able to do. Here are some of the players that could use a good showing.
– Harris falls into the group of players that have seen time, but has not been counted on for victories. Texas is thin at tight end, reports have suggested redshirt freshman is getting snaps at tight end so far in practices. The future for continues to be uncertain. The Longhorns need someone to step up at the position sooner than later. It is clear that would like to have a pass catching tight end in his offense. From to , Texas has utilized the tight end very well in the passing game. The position has been silent since the injury to Irby. Ian Harris contains the best skills on campus, and his ability to maximize that potential will be huge for the program. If Harris can’t step up, he is looking at Grant being a full time end with two legit recruits at the tight end position entering campus this fall. Combine that with the possibility of a return by Irby and the depth chart could swallow Harris up in a hurry.
– Allen came out of high school as one touted offensive line recruits this state has ever produced. So far, Allen has not lived up to the hype. Coach Mac McWhorther likes to give every lineman a redshirt year so the guys coming straight out of high school can get a year in the weight room and on the practice field before feeding them to the dogs on major college defensive lines. Allen did not want to redshirt as a freshman so he stands as a second year sophomore. Texas has notoriously used a three man rotation at the tackle position and right now Allen has not been able to be anything more than a serviceable third player in the trio. The Longhorns were fortunate this year in regards to injury to starters and . The duo was able to play most snaps which allowed McWhorther to use Allen when he wanted to, not when he had to. At this moment I’m not sure Allen would be the long term solution at either tackle position if one of the starters went down. Allen has to build up the confidence of the offensive staff, and he is going to have to do it in practice.
– Texas loses starter and part time starter following the . That leaves former defensive end , , and the true freshman Randall. The big man has gotten some snaps this year, but will be counted on heavily next year if the team gets what is expected out of Randall. Texas likes to have a rotation at defensive tackle to keep the players fresh. The depth at the position has continually allowed for this to be a huge advantage for the Longhorn defense, but for the first time in recent memory Texas’ defensive tackle position will enter the off-season as a major question mark. If the Longhorns can find starter quality snaps from Randall it will go a long way in answering those questions.
– It is not a guarantee that comes back to college. All reports suggest that he will, but the same could be said for and . When the money at the pro level is right in front of you it is hard to convince yourself to come do it all for free. Not just for free, but you have to study too. Either way, the Longhorns are going to be top heavy at the linebacker position next year, with all the likely starters being seniors. Robinson has played some plays this year and when he has seen the field he has been very disruptive. The redshirt freshman seems like the type of player loves to utilize. Robinson may already be the best linebacker on campus when it comes to playing in space. And with the types of offenses run in the Big 12 a player like Robinson is invaluable. A true linebacker that isn’t a liability in pass coverage is worth his weight in oil. It will be hard to take snaps away from the guys coming back, but with the possibility of Kindle’s absence and the willingness of Muschamp to play whoever is performing the best, a strong showing in the Fiesta Bowl practices would make it interesting to watch.
– By all accounts Scott has the most physical upside of any safety wearing burnt orange. What have seemed to hold him back are his practice habits on the field and in the film room. Anybody who saw Scott in the Kansas game knows the potential is there. The redshirt freshman covers more field, hits harder, and makes more plays than starter . But what keeps Gideon on top of the depth chart is the ability to understand offenses and what to do as the quarterback of the defense. Scott is not there yet and it is a testament that Gideon has been able to do such a great job in that regard considering he is also a freshman and it usually takes a few years for safeties to line up their defenses correctly. Gideon is a good player and a possible four year starter, but Scott has NFL tools. It is almost a Simms-Applewhite conversation. We all know how that one turned out.
/ – has been uncharacteristically fickle with his kickers this year. Ryan Bailey was great last year, and then Hunter Lawrence took his job before the season, then after being perfect for 2/3 of the season Lawrence misses two in one game and is benched in favor of Bailey. Maybe the competition is good for the kickers, but if a game comes down to a kick it has to be better if one guy knows he is the guy. Kicking is already stressful enough before you add in the fact you will lose your job if you miss. The next few days will determine who will be the kicker in the Fiesta Bowl, and I have a feeling the man who wins that job is going to keep it for a long time.
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