The Heisman Trust would have to re-vote then.  They haven’t even taken it away from Reggie Bush yet – SC’s new AD just shipped the school’s statue back to New York.  So of course all of this is hypothetical.  It’s also really unnecessary.  If you think about it, they vote and award the trophy before the BCS bowls in the first place.  The Trust has never wavered from doing that, so awarding a trophy on a re-vote after the player’s greatest moment came in a bowl game – even five years later – is opening them up for some criticism down the road.

I guess that having another Heisman on display could help with recruiting and adds to Vince’s list of accolades collected as a player, but to me, I want the program to be concentrating on what’s in front of them.  This to me sounds like something a school stuck in the past would do.  Vince already got the most important trophy available – after beating Reggie and ESPN’s “greatest team of all time” in their backyard.  Besides, Vince is not a college kid anymore.  He needs to concentrate on leading his NFL team and not another trip back to Austin to get honored.  His legacy is putting an entire program back on top of the world five years ago.

I also don’t want any asterisks associated with the greatness that was the Longhorn’s 2005 BCS Championship run.  That lame 2008 Big 12 title asterisk on the wall at Moncrief-Neuhaus was embarrassing.  If Mack wants a Heisman to show off, let’s see if one of our current guys can pick one up after an awesome season.

Should Texas retire Colt McCoy's #12 jersey?

As we approach the Davey O’Brien award ceremony on February 15th in Fort Worth, let us think about the legacy that was handed down to Colt McCoy.

Legacy is defined as what is handed down from the past. The legacy and legend that is Vince Young will forever be the heaviest burden that any first year quarterback could have ever faced. Maxwell, Davey O’Brien and National Championship are awards that will forever seal VY’s legacy for all Texas fans. What you do with that legacy in this case is what is truly remarkable. Colt McCoy added another record by becoming the winningest quarterback in history with 45 wins.

Here is a list of accomplishments Colt put up in just his senior year:

• Big XII Offensive Player of the Year
• First Team All American by Associated Press
• Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
• Davey O’Brien Award
• Archie Manning Award
• Maxwell Award
• Walter Camp Award

Colt has handled the legacy of quarterbacking the University of Texas as well as anyone. The legend will now grow after what happened on the field at the National Championship game in Pasadena. At the Rose Bowl, many of us feel robbed, on the 5th offensive play, of a historic finish with the injury that took Colt out of the game. I believe the legend will continue to grow as many UT football fans feel that the story was unfinished. Even some suggest that the outcome of the game should have been in doubt if Colt would have played since the Horns were only down 3 points with less than 4 minutes left in the game with a freshman quarterback. It’s amazing how one game will keep Colt from becoming arguably the greatest UT player of all time.

Here is a list of those players who have had their jersey number retired:

• Vince Young (30-2 / National Champion / Maxwell / Davey O’Brien / retired #10)
• Earl Campbell (Heisman Trophy & Doak Walker / retired #20)
• Tommy Nobis (National Champion / All American LB / retired #60)
• Ricky Williams (Heisman Trophy & Doak Walker / retired #34)
• Bobby Layne (All American / retired #22)

What do you think should happen with Colt McCoy’s jersey? Answer in the comments and the poll below:

Last week’s game had them talking about Vince Young as an awesome weapon playing quarterback. This was an incredible performance that left the NFL experts gushing about Vince Young as an NFL quarterback. He was poised. He was accurate. He was Vince Young.

Related Links

• Recapturing the Magic
• Young’s heroics help Titans beat the clock
• Titans stun Cardinals, 20-17

Link: McCoy needs to win a title before topping the likes of legends Young, Street.

Link: Titans to start Vince Young against Jaguars

As a kid, Titans quarterback Vince Young looked up to Steve McNair. On Wednesday, McNair’s two young sons looked to Young as their father figure.

As part of “Dear Dads Breakfast” at St. Paul Christian Academy, Young surprised the children when he showed up at their house early Wednesday and took them to the Pancake Pantry.

Read the full story.

Link: Vince Young highlights vs Bucs

Lake Travis' Garrett Gilbert will continue the spread quarterback lineage at Texas.

ESPN has several excellent articles this week on the spread offense in college football and some on it’s origins as well. Their articles feature Longhorn QB’s all over, from several generations. They think the perfect spread quarterback starts with Colt McCoy’s accurate arm and their history article gives a lot of love to future Horn and former Horn and current UNT coach .

ESPN Spread Offense Articles

• Spread concepts around for decades
• Spread traces its roots to Depression-era Texas high school football
• Who runs the spread offense?
• Defending the spread offense
• Andre Ware: ABC’s of the spread
• Crosshairs: Building a spread quarterback
• The 10 most dangerous spread offense QBs (*)
• Is 7-On craze helping?

Will Keenan Robison blow up at linebacker in 2009?

Football has become a 24/7, 365 days a year sport. We talk about football in the fall. We watch the spring games in April. And we even follow recruiting with the fervor of a Saturday night in Baton Rouge.

But the one aspect of college football that is overlooked is the work done in the summer with 7-on-7 workouts. Vince Young and the 2005 Championship team proved that chemistry and timing built in the summer can propel a team to the top. After a near perfect season in 2008 Colt McCoy and the Texas football team are looking to duplicate the blue print of the last team to make it to the Rose Bowl and win.

The similarities of this year’s team to the 2005 squad are alarming and are sure to be talked about like McCoy and Jordan Shipley’s fishing plans.

Not all aspects of the game can be worked on over the summer without pads, but plenty can be accomplished. Even with more answers than questions lingering to enter this season there is room for improvement. And here are five questions that could be answered over the summer?

1. What will be the base offensive formation?

The lack of a viable tight end may force Greg Davis’ hand when it comes to “go to” formations. In the biggest games of the year, and when Texas needed to move the ball, they abandoned the tight end set for a four wide receiver spread. With McCoy’s accuracy and the depth at the receiver position having a tight end on the field may be a detriment to the team.

From a skill stand point there is no question the fourth receiver will be more talented than any healthy tight end on the roster, unless we assume DJ Grant can emerge as a catcher and a blocker in his first year at the position. Frankly, it would be unfair to ask that of Grant so the question becomes – is it more important to disguise your play calls by being multiple on offense with a tight end or is the talent difference so great that putting a tight end on the field is holding the team back?

I don’t know the answer, maybe Davis and McCoy don’t either, but a huge summer by the receivers combined with no progress from the tight ends might equal a wide open spread attack for the majority of the snaps.

2. Can Garrett Gilbert handle being the backup quarterback right away?

Anyone who has seen or followed the career of the incoming freshman from Lake Travis knows that all signs point to a successful career at Texas and beyond. But all the skill, and smarts, in the world don’t necessarily spell success as a true freshman. In a perfect world Gilbert will only see the field in controlled situations. The plan is to bring him along slowly at the end of games that Texas has in the bag.

The problem is Texas cannot be comfortable with Sherrod Harris as the primary backup. The coaches and the players love Harris but he has never shown he could carry the team if needed. And with the junior recovering from surgery Gilbert has the chance to secure the backup spot if he can prove he has what it takes on the field, in his head, and in the huddle.

Like it or not Texas is one freak play away from starting a quarterback with no experience. With Chiles at receiver the only real hope is Gilbert. There is no doubt the pressure and expectations will not be fair or realistic for the prodigy, but he should have never expected them to be. This is Texas; he’ll learn that soon enough.

3. Who will be the running back?

Realistically this could be a question that isn’t answered at all this season. Mack Brown and Major Applewhite have proven they’ll mix backs in and out as much as they deem necessary. And while they’ll do it again this year, one has to think the staff wants a “go to” guy. A lot of the inconsistencies last year can be attributed to the lack of familiarity with the backs and the offensive line. The running game can be about timing as much as anything and UT had none last year.

It is true that the full running game cannot be featured without pads, but Applewhite has shown he values pass protection and ball security over big play ability. Vondrell McGee, maybe the most complete runner in the backfield, learned this lesson the hard way when he was benched for the entire Fiesta Bowl.

McGee may be the best runner, but it is Foswhitt Whittaker that can excel in 7-on-7 drills because of his ability to catch the ball and run in space. If he can stay healthy and prove he is willing to block Whittaker may finally break out this season.

The other option is freshman Chris Whaley. All reports have the physical freak as being impressive. The coaching staff has all but said he’ll get his shot to compete, so if he can pick up the small things this summer he’ll have a huge chance this fall.

4. Who will start as the third linebacker?

Roddrick Muckelroy and Jared Norton have starting jobs locked up in the 4-3 alignment, but with Sergio moving to defensive end one of the outside linebacker spots are open. The two candidates for the position are Keenan Robinson Emmanuel Acho. Both can rush the passer and both can make plays.

The skill that may separate them, and determine who plays more, will likely who can play in pass coverage the best. This is where 7-on-7 comes into play. With the Big 12 becoming football version of the Blue Angels air show finding linebackers that can stop the run and cover the pass is invaluable. In his short time on campus Robinson has shown the ability to play the pass and that’ what puts him at the top of the depth chart at strong side linebacker.

Texas will play with five defensive backs a lot this season, and that means only two linebackers on the field. Norton, who is a prototypical middle linebacker in the 4-3, has struggled in the nickel formation so if Robinson plays well enough he may be alongside Muckelroy when teams are spread out.

5. Is the work ethic there?

For the first time in a long time Texas overachieved last season. It had more to do with expectations, but the Longhorns had a workman like feel that wasn’t the norm in the last decade. Will Muschamp has gotten a lot of credit for the attitude change, but more credit needs to go to the players and especially the leaders on the team. More than talent, UT lost some big time leaders in Quan Cosby, Roy Miller, and Brian Orakpo.

Those guys kept the young guys in check in practice, off the field, and in the locker room. Texas still has established leaders in Colt McCoy and Sergio Kindle and new leaders are stepping up like Earl Thomas. But until the team faces some adversity no one will know if the team has the backbone they showed in games against Oklahoma and Ohio State last year.

The 2005 team established that ethic in the summer with many players pointing out that they had worked too hard in June and July to let anyone beat them. If this year’s team comes out of the summer with the same feeling another special year could be on the horizon.

Our thoughts go out to McNair’s family and friends.

Check out the writeups on the two Longhorns at the top below or see their list to find out all 10 players:

These lists are not mere compilations of all-time bests in their respective sports but all-time bests at quickening the pulse and evoking a visceral response from those fortunate enough to have witnessed their artistry. [...]

2. Earl Campbell, Texas
The Tyler Rose rushed for 4,443 yards — the bulk of them at the expense of defenders he head-butted or stiff-armed or trampled underfoot. The two-time All America and 1977 Heisman winner was, according to Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer, “the greatest player who ever suited up.”

1. Vince Young, Texas
Even before his near-miraculous, national-title-clinching performance in the ’06 Rose Bowl (VY passed for 267 yards and rushed for an even 200, including a game-winning, nine-yard scramble with 19 seconds remaining), the rangy dual-threat QB specialized in leading outrageous, you-cannot-be-serious comebacks: from 28 points down against Oklahoma State in 2004; from 10 down against Michigan in the 2005 Rose Bowl, after which he had the prescience to promise, “We’ll be back!”

Source

Recently, Vince sat down and spoke with Michael Smith for ESPN E:60 and though it’s not perfect, he speaks well about what he is dealing with in his life and what his focus is for the upcoming season. He emphatically states that he did not try or want to hurt himself. Watch an excerpt from the interview below:

More of the interview will air in late July on the E:60 season premier.

(HT)

Stewart Mandel of Sports Illustrated takes an interesting look back at the 2005 quarterback class and finds a lot of busts and only a few stars, of course including our own McCoy. Bill Walsh and have a hypothesis on why QB recruiting is full of so many misses, too much focus on arm strength:

Texas offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Greg Davis says most talent evaluators put too much emphasis on a quarterback’s arm strength. Several years ago, while coaching in the East-West Shrine Game in San Francisco, Davis got to sit with 49ers legend Bill Walsh at a dinner. He asked Walsh the most important qualities he had identified in the many successful QBs he drafted.

“He didn’t hesitate,” said Davis. “No. 1, he said: ‘Accuracy.’ Then he talked about athletic ability, intelligence. Way, way down on the list was arm strength.”

Davis knows well the importance of digging beyond the recruiting rankings. During his and head coach Mack Brown’s 11-year tenure in Austin, the Longhorns have signed two QBs who were No. 1 in their class — (1999) and (2002) — and originally received a commitment from Perrilloux.

However, they found their current star quarterback — three-year starter and 2008 Heisman runner-up Colt McCoy — tucked away at a small school in rural Tuscola, Texas. In the ’05 class, McCoy — then listed at 6-foot-1, 180 pounds — was ranked just 15th among pro-style QBs, behind Pittsburgh’s Bill Stull, Notre Dame’s Evan Sharpley and Wisconsin’s Dustin Sherer, among others.

Source

– The Atlanta Falcon’s made the playoffs behind a great running game and solid quarterback play. The unsung unit on the team was the offensive line. Blalock has cemented himself as a starter on an upcoming team by starting all 16 games after playing in 14 last season. At Texas, Blalock played tackle, but in the NFL he has been able to slide back to his natural position of tackle. Blalock was even able to score a touchdown on a fumble recovery.

– The forgotten member of the 2005 secondary has become a solid nickel corner in the NFL for the 49ers. Brown played in 15 games and started in one. He recorded 30 tackles and two interceptions.

– The beginning of the season didn’t appear good for Benson. After being cut by the Bears it appeared no one would request his services. The Cincinnati Bengals fell apart and came calling four games into the season. Benson started 10 games, gained over 700 yards, and scored two touchdowns on the ground. He also added 20 receptions. “EL Ced” finished with two huge games; making the chance he is offered a longer deal by the Bengals a real possibility.

– Crowder struggled with injuries and the depth chart all season. He played in six games, starting zero, and recording one tackle on the whole year.

– Charles had a rookie season that has to be seen as a success. Charles sits behind Larry Johnson on the depth chart, but made plays when given the opportunity. The speedster averaged 5.3 yards per carry and added 27 receptions. His only touchdown of the season came on a reception. If Johnson isn’t retained by the Chiefs, Charles may get a look as an every down back.

– The offensive line for the Cowboys underachieved this season. Davis will go to another Pro Bowl but o-line selections are based on reputation more times than not. It was not all Davis’ fault but he did not perform at the level he did the previous year.

– Dawson was once again a lone bright spot for the Cleveland Browns franchise. He went 30/36 with a long of 56. He was perfect on extra point, but the 18 attempts magnify the struggles of the Browns offense.

– Dockery is one of the higher paid linemen in the league, but is never as dominant as his salary would warrant.

– Finley had a hard time getting started this season. He ended up playing in 14 games while starting one of them. The rookie finished with 6 receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown on the season.

– Griffin has turned into a solid starting cornerback for the Vikings. He gets a lot of action playing opposite of Pro-Bowler Antoine Winfield but holds his own pretty well. Griffin plays with excellent enthusiasm and competitiveness which makes him an eager corner in run support. He played in all 16 games for the second straight season and recorded 91 tackles and a pick.

– Michael Griffin had the type of year that have made many hail him as the best defensive back to come out of the 2005 group. Griffin is a Pro-Bowl alternate after recording seven interceptions and a sack on the year. He is quickly becoming one of the best safeties in the league. His play has allowed the Titan defense to become one of the best in the league. Griffin also returns kicks for the #1 seeded Titans.

– The former Marine has established himself as one of the last true fullbacks in the game. The Tennessee running game is one of the best in the league behind the duo of Chris Johnson and Lendale White. The two split carries with mirrored success, and the one constant is the presence of Hall. He has also become a weapon in the flat out of the backfield, recording two touchdown receptions this year.

– Hampton had a tough season as he struggled to get on the field with health and conditioning problems. When Hampton can play he remains the best 3-4 nose tackle in the game. He recorded one sack in 13 games that he was rarely able to make it all the way through.

– The Thorpe award winner hasn’t lived up to his draft status so far in his career, but it is still early. Huff lost his starting job and didn’t record a sack, interception, or forced fumble on the year.

– Jammer had another great year in San Diego. He is one of the most physical corners in the league and continually gets matched up with the opposing team’s biggest and best receiver. Jammer recorded 88 tackles, two interceptions, and three forced fumbles for the playoff bound Chargers. It has been amazing to watch the turnaround of Jammer’s play after struggling for the first few years in the NFL. The pressure of being a high pick has subsided and Jammer’s play has risen.

– DJ has moved inside and performed well for the Chiefs. The knock on the former Texas star coming out was his unwillingness to take on blocks, and after a few years as a pro the criticism still exist. When playing in space he excels, but at the point of attack he has remained a liability. Johnson has been up and down, but has shown flashes of potential. He ended the year with 85 tackles, 1.5 sacks, one interception, and four forced fumbles. If/when the light turns on for DJ the sky is the limit.

– Okam may have earned himself a roster spot for next year with his play down the stretch. He lacks the motor and intensity most coaches want out of an interior defensive lineman, but he has the tools to become a solid player in the league if he ever turns it on.

– I feel bad for Cory Redding. I feel bad for any player, coach, trainer, and journalist (except Rob Parker) in Detroit. Redding was the heart and soul of their defense (if that is possible), and if he ever gets out of Detroit he may have a chance to make some noise. Until then, he’ll be rich in Detroit. He got three sacks on the year.

– Robison plays behind Jerod Allen so his snaps are limited. When he is on the field he shows up and makes plays. He managed 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble in 15 games.

– Shaun Rogers is the most disruptive interior lineman in football today. The guy is just huge and unstoppable when his motor is turned on. He took over games at points this season in spite of double and triple teams. Rogers will be in the Pro-Bowl again after turning in 76 tackles and 4.5 sacks. He has Hall of Fame type talent when it is all clicking for Rogers.

– He may not be the best athlete in his marriage, but the Thorpe award winner has become a better than average cornerback in a tough place to play. Ross started in every game he played, 15, and grabbed 3 interceptions, including one that he returned for a touchdown. Ross has the ability to be a shutdown corner as his technique and confidence continue to grow.

– Scaife has emerged as a very productive tight end even in the face of losing his quarterback and his team bringing in a big name free agent in Alge Crumpler. There were a few games where Kerry Collins completely forgot about Scaife, but he finished with 58 receptions and two touchdowns. Scaife has also become better as a blocker which allows him to stay on the field in all situations.

– People tend to forget about Sendlein when discussing the better offensive lineman Mack Brown has put into the NFL. Sendein has started every game of the season for a playoff team. Not too bad.

– Simms is the number three quarterback on Tennessee’s roster.

– Studdard remains a reserve lineman for the Houston Texans. He hasn’t been able to crack the starting lineup.

– Sweed is listed as the 4th receiver on the Steeler roster. One would think Sweed will contribute more after a full off season.

– The Patriots use a lot of tight ends in their offense, so none of them have numbers that are going to blow you away. Despite that Thomas has been able to get on the field a lot so far in his career. He pulled in nine receptions for 93 yards, but was never able to reach the end zone.

– Injuries rendered the 2008 season a wasted one for Vasher. He played in eight games, recording one interception, before being placed on injured reserve.

– The former Heisman trophy winner and league pariah has made his comeback has a productive back in the Miami system. He was one of the many bright spots on a team full of them this year. Williams is able to make plays without being relied on to carry the full load because of the presence of Ronnie Brown. Ricky scored four touchdowns on 659 yards rushing. He may have made his biggest impact as a receiver out of the backfield where he averaged over seven yards a catch on 29 receptions.

– The losing ways of the Lions followed Williams from Detroit to Dallas. Roy was never able to make an impact for the Cowboys for reasons that still remain unclear. He has proven to have the ability which leaves work ethic and injury as the two other reasons for his lack of production. Williams has unfortunately been criticized for both a lack of work ethic and inability to stay healthy in his career. He will need to have a huge year next year to justify the trade and contract Jerry Jones awarded him.

– Young was another Longhorn that struggled with injury. Denver is notorious for alternating backs, and with the addition of injuries Young was never able to stay on the field. When he was healthy he produced so it will be interesting to see what the new coach in Denver decides to do with Selvin.

– 2008 was not a good year for VY. The greatest player in Longhorn history lost his job after one game and a knee injury, and never was even given the chance to win it back. It now appears Jeff Fisher made the right choice as Tennessee earned the #1 seed in the AFC. While they did it with defense and running the ball, Collins has done a good job in a Trent Dilfer type role. This season may end up being the best thing that has ever happened to Vince as a professional if he uses the experience in the right way.

Shaun Rogers had his best game as a Brown

Roy Williams caught his first touchdown with Dallas and Shaun Rogers had a huge game for Cleveland. Read below to see how all the former Horns did this week:

- Brown had a quiet night in a loss to the Seahawks. Brown had two tackles in the game.

- The Bengals are awful, but Benson has been a bright spot in his short time there. Benson ran the ball well in the first half before being taken out of the game plan because of the deficit his team faced. He finished the game with 13 carries for 49 yards and two receptions for 20 yards.

- Charles had his best rushing day of his young career on Sunday averaging nine yards on five carries including a long thirty yard run. Starting running back Larry Johnson continues to miss time because of off the field issues, so the rookie’s role should continue to grow.

- The Cowboys got back on the win column, but it had little to do with the play of the offense. Dallas has suffered a lot of injuries but the play of the offensive line has to be disappointing.

- Dawson continues to play well going three for three with a long of 42 in the Cleveland win of Jacksonville.

- The Titans made a statement on Monday night in a win over the Colts. Griffin was all over the field finishing the game with eight tackles.

- The Titan running game changes focal points throughout the game with the combination of Chris Johnson and Lendale White, but the one constant is the consistent blocking ability of Ahmard Hall. Hall played well again as the Titans remain undefeated.

- Hampton got back in the stat column after struggling with injuries throughout the year. The big defensive tackle recorded six tackles while controlling the middle of the line.

- The Raiders and Michael Huff continue to struggle. The former Thorpe Award winner was credited with two tackles and no pass breakups in the loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

- Jammer went all the way to London to get hurt. He finished the game with six tackles before he left the game with a minor leg injury. The game was not good for either team’s secondary. Jammer gets a week off to heal up.

- DJ had a chance to be a hero against Brett Favre and the Jets but he dropped a potential interception that hit him right in the numbers. He finished with six tackles in the loss.

- Redding recorded five tackles and a half sack in another Detroit loss. I feel bad for anyone playing in Detroit, Roy Williams got out, now we need Redding to follow.

- Rogers was dominant for the second straight week. When Rogers plays all out he could be the best interior lineman in the game. In the win against the Jaguars the nose tackle recorded nine tackles and a sack.

- The Titans are the best team in the league right now and everywhere you look a former Longhorn standout is making a contribution. Scaife looks to be the best tight end on the squad even with the addition of Alge Crumpler. On Monday night Scaife had five catches for 44 yards.

- Thomas caught a ball after going a week without one. The Patriots won the game and Thomas is one of many tight ends New England uses.

- Williams scored a touchdown but was held to 16 yards on seven carries in the upset win over the Bills. He did have a 47 yard reception in the game but gave a fumble that set up a score for Buffalo.

- Roy Williams scored his first touchdown as a Cowboy on a two yard fade in what ended up being the only touchdown of the game. Williams wasted no time pleasing his Texas fans by putting up a “Hook em’ Horns” sign in the air for the world to see.

- Vince Young remains the man on the Titan sideline

That play is up against plays from , . and probably the deserving winner from the / game. That big hit and then fumble by Terrelle Pryor probably put Joe Pa in the title game.

Go to www.pontiac.com/ncaa and vote for the Horns. Be sure to click on “Rush” to see the ESPN guys talk at length after a good replay of running for 80 yards against Okie State back in the incredible 2005 game.