40 Acres Sports

Boobs and Beer. Advantage: Longhorns

Burnt Orange Nation posted a great image of all the Big 12 coaches if they were South Park characters. Click the image to see it a little bigger.

Pretty funny stuff. I’m not sure why Mack Brown looks like he’s been smoking weed all day, everyone knows only the team gets high. My favorites are Mark Mangino, Mike Leach, and Mike Gundy. Those are pretty dead on. I don’t think Dennis Franchione or Gary Pinkel look confused enough. And it kind of sucks that just like on South Park, the Big 12 coaching ranks only have one token black guy.

Our Thoughts

Brian – This is the Adrian Peterson Memoriam Heisman List. He had a great game against Iowa State before breaking his collarbone in what might have been his final collegiate carry. He’ll be off the list next week. With Peterson gone, this now becomes Troy Smith and a bunch of scrubs. Garrett Wolfe’s embarrassing performance against Western Michigan knocks him off my list for good. Sorry but if you play for Northern Illinois you can’t afford to have any weeks like that. It’ll be interesting to watch if Mike Hart or Steve Slaton can make any sort of run at Smith in the season’s final half.

Matt – Ok, so putting Garrett Wolfe in the number spot must have put some sort of major jinx on him. I now have back in the #3 spot, where he should feel comfortable and put up some big yards this weekend. It is definitely a shame what happened to Adrian Peterson this past weekend, and he probably would be my front runner for Heisman if he didn’t get hurt.

Related Links

• Last week’s poll
• ESPN Experts Poll
• SI.com Heisman Watch

The Big 12 this year makes the Big 12 last season look like a juggernaut. Texas Tech spanked by winless Colorado, undefeated Missouri repeatedly throws the game away against the Aggies, and Oklahoma just lost Adrian Peterson for the year. The Longhorns will have to continue to win and win convincingly this year if they plan on holding off any one-loss teams from the SEC or an average Notre Dame team.

Today against [tag]Baylor[/tag] the Horns will have to battle through some injuries and beat an improving Baylor team. If the Horns play solid football and protect the football they should be able to beat the Bears on talent and depth alone.

First Quarter

• Selvin Young running down the field looking back at Quan Cosby instead of blocking on the kickoff return. Horns start off with bad field position.
• Apparently the Baylor coaches watched some Texas game film this year. Every single time a team makes a play action fake our safeties bite hard. Good fake by Baylor’s QB and the receiver runs wide open for a long TD on their first offensive play. They beat the two backups in the secondary that are starting in Deon Beasley and Matt Melton.

Baylor 7, Texas 0

• On the replay it looks like Melton didn’t bite on the play fake but just didn’t get enough depth. He flinched a little when he saw another receiver but it wasn’t the play fake.
• Longhorns getting their ass kicked right now. No fire from the offensive line at all. A three and out on the second offensive series.
• Finally a solid play for Texas. Both defensive ends got into the pocket quickly and Tim Crowder comes up with a sack.
• Looks like Baylor’s picking on Beasley. He needs to make smart plays.
• Nice call by the ref 200 yards away. Probably the right call but was way late and not from anywhere around the play.
• Huge early play for the Texas defense. 3rd and 4 for Baylor inside the 20. Texas needs to force a field goal.
• Brian Robison on the coverage as we bring a big zone blitz brings up 4th down.

Baylor 10, Texas 0

• Let’s get under center and run it down their throats.
• I don’t hate Greg Davis as much as most people, but that stat TBS just threw out there is probably a little misleading. I think the last ten years has probably been the weakest schedules Texas has ever played and they play more games and scoring is up all over the country.
• Just like the first half of the OU game, Davis is trying to be too smart in my opinion. We just came and ran three straight pass plays when our strength is clearly our running game.
• That may be the worst personal foul call I’ve ever seen. The Baylor punt returner drops the football and they call us for diving on the pile.
• Beasley looked like he was in trouble there. He made a good play on the receiver but he never turned around and looked for the football.
• It wasn’t exactly pretty but the Texas defense forces a three and out and gets the ball back. Let’s hope the offense figures out what the hell they’re doing quick.
• Good block by Neale Tweedie but the Horns are probably lucky holding wasn’t called. Texas’ tight ends have been called for a ton of those this season and that was a close one.
• Hey look what happens when we run the football?! First downs!
• And we get cute again and McCoy throws an interception. Baylor football. We need a turnover and some momentum.

(more …)

Adrian Peterson’s dad was able to watch his son play in person today for the first time since he was 12 years old. It looks like it may have been the first and last time to see Adrian play for the [tag]Oklahoma[/tag] Sooners. With about six minutes to go in the game Peterson broke a 53 yard touchdown run and when he stretched for the end zone he landed awkwardly and broke his collarbone.

Peterson is an incredibly tough runner and yet at the same time he seems to a little fragile. I don’t know if he’s a player that is always going to be hurt, if it’s overuse, or just plain bad luck but he has spent much of his OU career banged up. There’s a slim chance he could be back in time for a bowl game but the chances of him returning to Oklahoma for his senior season are close to zero.

Despite his choice to attend OU, Peterson seems like a pretty decent kid who probably had every opportunity to follow down his father’s path but chose not to. A tough way for an incredible running back to end his career, but even with the injury he’s likely a top three NFL draft pick and destined for a great pro career.

Colt McCoy, protect the football, and secondary depth.

Three starters out on defense for the Baylor game.

One big matchup in the SEC and not much else. The Florida Gators go on the road to Auburn for one of several tough SEC tests they’ll have to pass if they want to reach the BCS championship game in January. That’s this week’s only game between two ranked teams. Michigan also has an important game in Happy Valley, while most people believe Ohio State will be the team to come out of the Big 10 the Wolverines are still undefeated and climbing the rankings.

Here’s how this Saturday’s games will go down:

Related Links

• Last week’s winners
• SI.com Top 25 Scoreboard
• SI.com Big 12 Scoreboard

Our Thoughts

Brian – My entire list is new, not a single person stays in the spot they occupied. Adrian Peterson missed his opportunity to put himself in the driver’s seat for the award by putting up yet another solid but unspectacular game against the Longhorns. When he gave up on Paul Thompson’s lateral he may have also lost any chance he had to win the Heisman. Troy Smith moves to number one and Garrett Wolfe is now at number two. As long as Ohio State keeps winning, it’s going to take something remarkable for anyone to jump Smith.

Matt – I am leaving Garrett Wolfe in the #1 spot. He is just too exciting on the football field and continues to rack up the yards. As with Brian, this week I am moving Troy Smith up ahead of Adrian Peterson. Peterson had a decent game, but nothing that was inspiring. I always like to have a dark horse in my #5 spot, and this week I am putting Mario Manningham there. He has just been sick this season, already catching 9 touchdown passes. It is ashame that he will be out for a few weeks, but if he has a big enough game against Ohio State, watch out, he just might have a chance to win this thing.

Related Links

• Last week’s poll
• ESPN Experts Poll
• SI.com Heisman Watch

Maybe he’s trying to ensure Texas doesn’t overlook the Bears.