Posted January 18th, 2010 by Ross
Filed under: Football

WTH?! (What the Heck?) moments are attempts to find the memorable and the off-beat perspective on Longhorns sports. Here are some interesting moments from the Texas game against [tag]Alabama[/tag] in the Citi BCS National Championship.

I know that this post is over a week late. I needed at least that much time to get some perspective from attending this National Championship game.

Pre Game (Coin Toss) WTH Saban?! Nick Saban, your team wins the coin toss and you decide to take the ball first. The big bad SEC which claims that no one else plays defense but you guys are the ones that decide to go on offense first. Nick, either you’re tremendously cocky or you saw something that the Horns could take advantage of which you felt you needed to put points on the board first.

1st Quarter (13:01) WTH Saban #2?! OK, Nick. I am starting to think you were scared of the Horns offense. You go for a fake punt on your own 20 yard line. [tag]Blake Gideon[/tag] baited the punter PJ Fitzgerald to make the pass, but Nick you gave the green light for your players to execute this play. Hey Saban, looks to me your were a little concerned.

1st Quarter (10:54) WTH Moment of the Season?! The Tide’s Marcell Dareus hit was nowhere close to the shots that [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag] has taken while on the 40 acres. One of the most irritating stats of the game was this was Dareus’ only recorded tackle of the entire game. The tackle caused a pinched nerve that affected his throwing arm which ended Colt’s storied career. I hear some people complaining that Colt should have never been carrying the ball because he is too important to the team. These same people said leading up to this week that Colt was going to have to run to keep the Tide’s defense off balance. Isn’t hindsight a beautiful thing?

2nd Quarter (:03) WTH Hix?! To top his only tackle of the game Marcell Dareus recorded an interception just before the end of the half (he won the defensive MVP based on this play alone). The frustrating part of the [tag]Garrett Gilbert[/tag] shovel pass was not the drop by [tag]DJ Monroe[/tag]. It was the lack of a tackle by offensive lineman [tag]Kyle Hix[/tag] who could have held him up for at least a second or two instead of trying to barrel roll him down.

3rd Quarter (12:05) WTH Gold Streaker?! The gold masked man with a website on the back of his shirt wanted to interrupt the football game to protest… the BCS. I believe all universities need to be on look out for more masked streakers who want a playoff system.

3rd Quarter (:45) WTH Pass Catchers?! I have made this statement for a second consecutive game. This young group of receivers needed to come up big in this game even more so since Garrett Gilbert went in to replace Colt. Malcolm Williams’ finger tip touch of the football in the end zone would have brought UT within a single score before the start of the fourth quarter. Dan Buckner had a crucial drop early in the game until he made a solid catch in the endzone for a two point conversion. We need all the receivers including the newest recruits, Darius White and Demarco Cobbs, to help out a developing quarterback like Garrett next year. (Who knew these words would mean so much more with the dismissal of wide receivers Brandon Collins and Dan Buckner)

4th Quarter (3:14) WTH Mack Magic?! I thought of these words when Garrett took over the ball at the seven yard line. After the Longhorn faithful thought the game was over when Colt went down, the UT side of the Rose Bowl was stoked about a possible tie or go ahead score. Just a few seconds later, Alabama’s Eryck Anders recorded their only sack of the game which caused Garrett to fumble and end any momentum. I do need to point out that the OL protection got better towards the end of the game even after losing All-Big 12 center [tag]Chris Hall[/tag].

4th Quarter (1:48) WTH Saban #3?! With the score 31-21 in favor of Alabama, Nick Saban cemented himself as a red a** going in for a meaningless score. His own player, Javier Arenas, who intercepted the ball and fell to the ground instead of trying to score, showed more respect that Saban. Operating from the victory formation with only one timeout left on the Texas sideline would have ended the game. To use basketball terminology, instead of dribbling out the clock, Saban decided to dunk the ball over his opponent. I subscribe to the fact that the defense is the one responsible for stopping the other team from scoring. But when you can take a knee that will end the game with your team hoisting the ball in victory, that is the ultimate ending for a championship team.

Thanks for following my WTH articles throughout the football season. I appreciate the opportunity to rant about the greatest University sports program in the country. You can continue to follow comments on all of UT sports on Twitter at 40AcresSports or follow me at Horns1991. HOOK ‘EM!!

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Posted January 9th, 2010 by Brian
Filed under: Football

Usually the United State President gives the team that wins the championship a phone call, but Barack Obama was so impressed by the Texas Longhorns’ attitude and comeback against [tag]Alabama[/tag] that he called up [tag]Mack Brown[/tag] to tell him so. He also wanted to congratulate quarterback [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag] on his outstanding career.

Read the release from the university:

Longhorns head coach Mack Brown received a surprise phone call on Saturday morning. On the other end was President Barack Obama.

“President Obama called to congratulate us on a super season,” Brown said. “He told me to tell the kids how impressed he was with the never-give-up attitude the team had during the game. He said he loved their heart and effort and that despite all of the adversity, they hung in there and fought until the end.”

President Obama got to know Brown and the Texas team when the then Senator of Illinois visited the football facilities during a Democratic debate with Hillary Clinton in Austin in the spring of 2008.

“The President said we treated him first class on his visit and he enjoyed meeting Colt (McCoy) and the guys,” Brown added.

“He wanted me to congratulate Colt on a great career and let him know how disappointed he was for him that he wasn’t able to play in his last game.”

Brown said the team had such a great time visiting the White House after the 2005 National Championship. That was among the biggest disappointments in not winning this time.

“Going to the White House and meeting the President was such a great honor,” Brown added. “That’s something that will be a goal for our team every year, to get back to the White House.”

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Posted January 8th, 2010 by Brian
Filed under: Bowls, Football

Fantastic article from Yahoo’s Dan Wetzel on the pair of Longhorn quarterbacks who each suffered devastating nights against [tag]Alabama[/tag] in the BCS title game. The opening bit on Colt McCoy and his father really got to me…

Colt McCoy lined up about 7 yards from his dad, Brad. This was inside the Texas locker room underneath the Rose Bowl bleachers, the Longhorns quarterback missing the biggest game of his career, about to attempt the most important throw of his life.

Colt had the ball and was going to pass it to his dad as a slew of doctors and trainers watched closely. How many times had these two thrown a football back and forth, from their yard in little Tuscola, Texas, to the practice fields of Jim Ned High School, where the dad was the coach and the son was the star?

“Millions,” Colt said. “Millions of times.”

Colt had just lied to the Texas doctors and said that he was capable of returning to the BCS title game against Alabama. A hit by the Tide’s Marcell Dareus, on the fifth play of the game, had sent him to this locker room. He wanted back out there. So he tried to sound convincing despite the fact his arm felt “like a noodle.”

He hadn’t come this far to sit. Colt McCoy was going to lead Texas to the championship. He believed this. He’d always believed this. When he went down, he said, “We were about to dominate.” They weren’t going to lose, not where the Longhorns had last won a championship in 2005, not against a team against whom they’d never lost, certainly not 37-21, as the scoreboard would show after 60 minutes.

Yet on the TV in the corner, he had seen it all fade away in his absence. Alabama was rolling; Texas’ early lead was long gone.

So Colt gripped the ball, stared at his dad and thought, “It’s just a simple throw.” He threw. The ball went soft and wide. Everyone grimaced. “Give it to me again,” Colt demanded. Brad got the ball and gave it back to his son. The next throw was the same, bouncing harmlessly away. “Give it to me again,” Colt said, again. Brad did.

It was the same. It was over. Colt couldn’t throw it 7 yards to his own father. “My arm was dead,” he said. The dad hugged his son. The son broke down and cried.

“There’s no pain on my body,” Colt said later. “If I was a free safety, I’d go out there and make a tackle. I [just] have no strength to throw a football.”

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Posted January 8th, 2010 by Brian
Filed under: Bowls, Feature, Football

Maybe the toughest interview I’ve ever seen, Texas quarterback [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag] talks to ABC/ESPN immediately after the BCS title game:

Personally, a truly crushing end to a Longhorn legend’s career. Colt is a great Longhorn and a great young man. He was broken hearted yet strong, grateful, and gracious. Best of luck Colt, we’ll be rooting for you.

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Posted January 7th, 2010 by Brian
Filed under: Bowls, Feature, Football, Live

Follow along live with 40 Acres Sports on Twitter and below for our thoughts and analysis during tonight’s national title game on ABC. We’ll be live right around kickoff for Texas vs [tag]Alabama[/tag] so join us to discuss the game at 7:00pm Thursday night.

Things might be a little less wordy than normal, but please feel free to leave comments and questions using the live tool, but not all comments will be published. Read below for more notes on comments and how the live blog will work. Hook ’em!

(continue to read full live blog …)

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Posted January 7th, 2010 by Brian
Filed under: Bowls, Feature, Football

It could come down to which QB plays best. Who would you choose? McCoy or McElroy?

It could come down to which QB plays best. Who would you choose? McCoy or McElroy?

Here we go ladies and gentlemen. The king of college football for the 2009 season will be crowned tonight at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. In front of a every sports fan in the country, the #2 Texas Longhorns will take on the #1 Alabama Crimson Tide for all the marbles. In a few hours the winner of the Citi BCS National Championship Game will hold up the crystal football and have a moment they will never forget.

Predictions from the national media are all over the place. Some think Bama wins big and think Texas doesn’t stand a chance, others look at the entire body of work and think the game could go either way. Our predictions for the title game are below:

Brian Enough talk, time for some action. The Horns have heard they’ve got no chance to win for almost a month and it will motivate them to come out and play their asses off. Will it make them overly hyped or give them the burst they need to win? I don’t think it matters. Texas defensive coordinator [tag]Will Muschamp[/tag] has his goon squad ready and pumped to shut down the Tide and they’re going to do it. The defense and special teams give the Horns good enough field position all night to allow [tag]Greg Davis[/tag] to throw caution to the wind (a little) and score just enough points to beat a great Bama defense. Horns win in defensive struggle decided by special teams and turnovers.Texas 23, Alabama 13

Matt This season and game reminds me a lot of the 2005 National Championship run, but I love being the underdog and overlooked by most people in the nation. All I keep hearing about is how good Alabama’s defense is and how they dominated Florida. Well I have watched quite a few of Alabama’s games this year and I think some people need to go back and watch film on the Alabama vs Tennessee and Alabama versus Auburn games.

I think the key to the game will be if Texas can get off to a fast start. It seems in almost every game this season Texas just goes through the motions in the first half, makes some adjustments, and comes out on fire in the second half. That simply won’t work in this game. A lot of that responsibility will be on Colt McCoy. He needs to take over the game early and do whatever it takes to start off strong, even if that means running the ball more like he did in the A&M game.

Alabama does have a strong defense but I am severely unimpressed by their quarterback McElroy. He seems slow in the pocket and Texas has the speed on defense to give him some problems. I think he will have a couple of key turnovers which will be the difference in the game. I actually believe this game will be a little bit higher scoring than most people think. And because of the Texas Longhorn Rose Bowl history, I am going with a last second field goal to win. Texas 31, Alabama 30

Ross 13-0 in 2009. 25-1 over two years. This has been an incredible run by our Horns. Do you see where this prediction is going? I had the same feelings going into the 2006 National Championship game and it turned out pretty good. The UT coaches (Will and Greg) will have a lot to say about the outcome of this game more than any other game this year. The Horns have a daunting task against the most complete team that they have faced all year. I pointed out what the Horns need to do to win with the new year’s resolutions post. The Tide have the momentum from the SEC Championship game, but the Horns have the chip on their shoulder. I think Saban will have Bama wound so tight while Mack will have the Horns playing with nothing to lose. Horns will win a close one. Texas 26, Alabama 24

Predictions from Twitterverse

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Posted January 7th, 2010 by Brian
Filed under: Bowls, Feature, Football

Colt McCoy will need to use his legs to complement his arm to beat Alabama.

Colt McCoy will need to use his legs to complement his arm to beat Alabama.

The big one is finally here. We’re less than a day away from the Texas Longhorns taking on the Alabama Crimson Tide for the BCS national title. No more waiting. No more listening to national experts drone on and on about how the Horns have no chance based off one game. The two teams will finally take the field and decide everything head to head.

The Longhorns are 4-point underdogs, what can they do tonight to swing things in their favor?

1. Pick up the Alabama blitz.

The Texas offensive line has been the subject of much chatter and consternation both for fans and the national media since the [tag]Nebraska[/tag] debacle. Ndamukong Suh doesn’t play for Alabama but Terrence Cody and Rolando Mcclain do and they’re not too shabby. Cody however has 4.5 tackles for loss on the season, the same number of sacks Suh on [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag] in one game.

Cody is more space-eater than playmaker, but his size and strength in the middle frees up other defenders to make plays. As a 3-4 defense the Crimson Tide will blitz frequently and from various different positions than most teams the Longhorns played this year. That will put a lot of pressure on McCoy, center [tag]Chris Hall[/tag], and the Texas running backs to identify who is coming on every play and give Colt enough time to find the open hot route.

2. Don’t give up a big pass play on blown coverage.

The huge pass play on a blown coverage between [tag]Chykie Brown[/tag] and [tag]Earl Thomas[/tag] early against A&M was one of the reasons the underdogs were able to grab some momentum and keep up with the Horns. Those two players along with [tag]Aaron Williams[/tag], [tag]Curtis Brown[/tag], and [tag]Blake Gideon[/tag] form one of the best secondaries in the history of UT football season. That’s high acclaim for a school with as strong a recent history as Texas with multiple Thorpe Award winners and former players littered throughout the NFL.

Against inexperienced Crimson Tide quarterback Greg McElroy the secondary should be a big strength, but if they make mental mistakes and let someone get wide open deep (as has happened too often the last two years) McElroy and Julio Jones will make you pay. Force the Tide to drive down the field and make them pay for their own mistakes, don’t give it to them easy thanks to assignment errors.

3. Get Colt McCoy involved in rushing attack.

The Horns need Colt McCoy’s legs not only for the running game but to get the senior QB settled in for the passing attack as well. McCoy has stated several times that a big run and even getting tackled helps get him into the rhythm of the game quicker. Texas is a pass-first team but they need to run to keep the Alabama defense honest and to open up the playaction pass. McCoy on a few designed runs (zone read, speed option, QB draws) and also some improvised scrambles for big yardage would be the difference against an excellent defense like Bama’s.

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Posted January 1st, 2010 by Ross
Filed under: Bowls, Feature, Football

Will Chris Hall and the Texas offensive line be celebrating against Alabama? (Image: Statesman)

Will Chris Hall and the Texas offensive line be celebrating against Alabama? (Image: Statesman)

A resolution in this article will be “a formal expression or opinion made” to win a football game. The Texas Longhorns will be playing for a national championship against Alabama on January 7th at the Rose Bowl. I have four resolutions that the Longhorns should follow in order to win this game. We are not going to make the obvious statements that the winner will be the one that can hold on to the ball, establish the running game, control the line of scrimmage, TOP, or have the ball last. Here they are:

1. To Be First

The Longhorn’s offense all season is based on tempo. The Longhorns need to rack up first downs in this game. If you remember the Fiesta Bowl last year the offense needed a full half to get going. You will notice that [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag] and [tag]Greg Davis[/tag] like to run the hurry up offense after a made first down. The Bama defense will need to pick it up and mismatches play a huge role in Texas moving the ball. The Longhorns for this entire season had 114 more first downs over their opponents.

2. To Add Wrinkles

No… we are not hoping the Longhorns age us during this game. Greg Davis needs to add some different play combinations to keep the Alabama defense guessing. We know that conventional running will not work. Greg introduced the double cross receiver run during the OU game and the shovel pass against UCF. Auburn pulled out a few rabbits to start the game against Bama. I am not suggesting trick plays but a change of pace to keep them guessing. Please Greg install the wheel route to [tag]Tre Newton[/tag] at the right time which would be fun to see. [tag]Chris Hall[/tag] and teammates please give Colt just a little time to execute a few of these plays.

3. To Have a Big Middle

The middle that I am referring to is [tag]Roddrick Muckelroy[/tag] and [tag]Lamarr Houston[/tag]. These two men need to step up big time to make Alabama one dimensional. The two closes games (biggest I would argue) of the season where we saw the Sooners rush for -16 yards and the Huskers run for 67 yards. Alabama will want to impose their will with Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson running the ball. The “Goonies” (nicknamed by Lamarr) need to have the defensive effort that we all talk about when we speak of the 2006 National Championship game.

4. To Not Be Offensive

We need to get back to the non-offensive touchdown results that we had for most of the season. The timeliness of the 2 non-offensive TD’s that we had versus Oklahoma State would suffice (I can wish?!). We need the special teams to come up with a game changing punt return, punt block or kick return to electrify the crowd. The defense stepping up with an interception or fumble return for a touchdown can make the other team question their offensive decisions which affect play calling and team confidence. We do not have to win the turnover battle – just do something with it!

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Posted December 11th, 2009 by Brian
Filed under: Football

Most Texas fans have been telling Austin American-Statesman writer Kirk Bohls what they think of him for some time now. Last night after his big awards haul, Texas quarterback [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag] also got in on the act.

Bohls sealed his fate in the hearts and minds of Longhorn fans when he put Reggie Bush over Texas quarterback [tag]Vince Young[/tag] on his 2005 Heisman ballot. It’s an even more disputed race this year and once again, in a slightly less egregious error, Bohls again didn’t put the Texas QB number one on his ballot. Colt noticed, and had some smart comments for the local journalist:

McCoy said his awards couldn’t be viewed as an indicator that he’d win the Heisman. “I don’t think this has any impact on the Heisman,” he said. “At the same time, I’m very thankful.”

Later, after commenting that he didn’t play for awards and that they’re a credit to the team, McCoy still took a jab at Austin (Texas) American-Statesman columnist Kirk Bohls, who did not vote for McCoy for the Heisman.

“Tell Kirk Bohls thanks for all the votes,” McCoy told a few writers. “You can put that on the air or anywhere you want.”

We’ll find out if Bohls’ unimportant vote (his thoughts not mine) cost McCoy the Heisman Trophy when the winner is announced Saturday night.

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WTH?! (What the Heck?) moments are attempts to find the memorable and the off-beat perspective on Longhorns sports. Here are some interesting moments from the Texas game against [tag]Nebraska[/tag] in the Big 12 Championship game.

Did James Kirkendoll's drop cost Colt McCoy the Heisman? (Image: Statesman)

Did James Kirkendoll's drop cost Colt McCoy the Heisman? (Image: Statesman)

Pregame WTH Jerry’s World?! Heading into the stadium, Husker and Longhorn fans (76,211) were ready to celebrate the Big XII season’s accomplishments with a cold beverage. Unfortunately, some one decided to lock up all the beer coolers to the dismay of many fans. Good thing since the 2001 Championship at Texas Stadium ([tag]Chris Simms[/tag] – Oh no moments), UT fans drank their sorrows away. Just so you know for future trips to the Death Star, Sec 431, Row 22, Seat 1 is the highest possible seat in the back of the end zone that you can occupy.

1st Quarter (14:24 & 8:07) WTH McCoy?! [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag] has limited his penchant for the early interception that last few games until the biggest stage. His two early interceptions (one tipped and another desperation heave) were a product of excellent coverage and the desire to make something happen. Unfortunately, Colt’s Heisman coronation was thwarted with only 202 yards, 3 interceptions and 9 sacks. Fortunately, his last completions of the game to [tag]Jordan Shipley[/tag] proved to be the game clincher.

2nd Quarter (15:00) WTH Bo?! Bo Pelini has to get a better agent after coaching the Huskers to the championship game. I have never seen someone work a piece of gum which he even threw a mangled piece in disgust at the direction of his team. Big League Chew or Hubba Bubba needs to sign this guy up!

3rd Quarter (12:07) WTH Suh?! Ndamukong Suh (name means house of spears) had a tremendous game with 12 tackles and 4.5 sacks. He single handily threw Colt to the ground with one arm after beating a Longhorn double team. He literally put himself in position to sweep every major defensive award and earn a trip to New York for the Heisman presentation.

4th Quarter (14:04 & 4:50) WTH Pass Catchers?! You rarely get more than one chance during the game to hit a stop and go pattern. Colt McCoy sold the pump fake and [tag]James Kirkendoll[/tag] went flying down the sideline for an apparent score. I guess catching the ball would have been an important step in that sequence?! I hate to say this but that completion would have made the score 17-6 which would have sewn up the game and the Heisman. [tag]Dan Buckner[/tag] had the ball ripped away from him by Husker Dejon Gomes that ended another sure scoring drive.

4th Quarter (:01) THE Ultimate WTH Mack?! I heard the explanation from [tag]Mack Brown[/tag] on ESPN. He and [tag]Greg Davis[/tag] agreed to run a hook pattern to get a little closer for field goal kicker [tag]Hunter Lawrence[/tag]. Colt McCoy decided to let the clock run down like a point guard until it was dangerously close. Referee Tom Walker immediately motioned Bo Pelini and the Huskers to get back to the sidelines because replay confirmed that there was one second left. Joe Thompson (official time keeper) should not expect a Christmas card from the Longhorn faithful. I would hate to think of Brown’s legacy if time would have run out. Thanks to Hunter’s 46 yard boot the Horns are 2009 Big XII Champions!

Next up for the Longhorn’s is the National Championship Game against [tag]Alabama[/tag] in Pasadena!

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