40 Acres Sports

My live, random thoughts from the Texas versus [tag]Louisiana Lafayette[/tag] game. Hopefully we play a little better tonight than Oklahoma did today. (Go Horned Frogs!)

First quarter

• It’s got to be tough for these ULL kids to be playing after all they’ve been through over the past week. Lafayette didn’t really get hit by Hurricane Katrina but you know that a lot of these kids are probably originally from New Orleans and the surrounding area. Donate to the Red Cross and help out anyway you can.
• Throwbacks look good. Love the helmets and jerseys. Little weird not to have names on the back of jerseys, especially tough in the first game when I don’t know everyone’s new numbers yet. I’ll have to be checking the roster often.
• The black shoes make us look slow. Even Vince looks like he’s plodding along a little bit.
• Selvin Young looks much bigger than he did a year ago.
• The defensive front just ran over the ULL offensive line. All sorts of pressure on the QB and penetration on running plays.
• Henry Melton is a big old boy, I look forward to watching him run over some people in short yardage situations this year.
• We are in deep #@*$ at field goal kicker right now. And a long return on the ensuing kickoff. We need special teams help in a hurry.
• How does ULL have a better field goal kicker than us? At least we’ve looked a little exciting on kick returns.
• LOVE the speed option on third and short. Has to be scary to opposing defenses. Jamaal Charles needs to put the football in the outside arm.
• Great to see the two true freshmen backs (Charles and Melton) getting in there early. Touchdown for Charles on a nice easy off tackle play to the left. Looked good.
• Just noticed Larry Dibbles for the first time. Good to see the rumors about him having academic issues was just a rumor. We’ll need him this year and our depth at DT should be one of our biggest strengths.
• Speaking of depth, I just saw Thomas Marshall in there already. We must be rotating a ton of people. He’s probably the fifth string defensive tackle.
• Aaron Harris just caused his first forced fumble of the year, he’s got a long way to go to catch up to DJ’s total from last year. He’s playing really well right now, really disruptive.
• Good catch by Nathan Jones, helped VY out a little on a ball thrown behind him. With all the talk about his passing skills, he had very little help from his wide receivers last year.
• That may be first pass down field I’ve seen Ramonce Taylor catch as a receiver. That’s at least three touches he’s had already here early in the game.
• The first Quan Cosby sighting. I think the depth and talent at WR is going to be a big difference between this season and last. Lots of guys to throw to and Dave Thomas as the go to guy.

First quarter is over and Texas leads 13 – 3. Very, very good showing on offense and defense and a very shaky start on special teams. So far I like what we’re doing on offense a lot. Mixing things up, spreading the ball around. Letting Vince move around a little and throw the ball in the intermediate level.

(more …)

He says he’s ready to potentially add his name to the long list of great Texas tailbacks.

A few tough games to call this week, but most of the contests should be pretty lopsided. Texas A&M at Clemson and Boise State at Georgia should both be good close games. Here’s how we think things will shake out this weekend:

With the college football season finally getting underway, it’s time for me to post my preaseason top 25 teams. This is just my initial gut feelings on each team based on how good I think they’ll be and just as importantly on what their schedule looks like. Some of them don’t match up at all with the other preseason polls, but this is where I think they’re going to finish the season.

1. Southern Cal
2. Texas
3. Ohio State
4. Louisville
5. Virginia Tech
6. Tennesee
7. Florida
8. Oklahoma
9. Michigan
10. Miami
11. Iowa
12. Georgia
13. Boise State
14. Arizona State
15. Texas Tech
16. Lousiana State
17. Florida State
18. Purdue
19. Boston College
20. Missouri
21. Penn State
22. Bowling Green
23. Colorado
24. Auburn
25. Texas A&M

I think we have a pretty clear number one and two, USC and Texas are nearly a consensus at the top. With Ohio State in week two and playing in the Big XII South, Texas will definitely have to earn a trip to the Rose Bowl. I have a feeling that one of the teams that makes it there may have one loss, I don’t think we see three undefeated teams like last year.

It was a tough call between Michigan and Ohio State at number 3, whoever win their head to head matchup in November will finish the year near the top of the polls. Louisville at number 4 may actually go undefeated in a BCS conference, and I still think they’d finish behind a one-loss Ohio State. That should be a fun discussion for the end of the year. There’s just nobody on their schedule they should lose to.

(more …)

The college football season is finally upon us. A handful of games around the country going on tonight and several of them on TV. A lot of wives and girlfriends around the country will now have a lot more free time on their hands for the next four months.

Steve Spurrier’s offense is already clicking in the South Carolina vs. Central Florida game on ESPN, a forty-nine yard bomb for a touchdown on the fifth play of the game. Meanwhile on ESPN 2 you can catch an early-season shootout between Houston and Oregon, the score is already 21 – 17 U of H midway through the second quarter.

Later tonight Minnesota will play at Tulsa on ESPN 2. Check out the full TV listings to see if there are any regional games airing where you live.

National and regional listings, don’t miss a game!

Vince Young number 1. Two Buckeyes make the list.

Most have Texas winning Big XII & several have us in the Rose Bowl.

Puts the Horns at #2 and mocks the Aggies. Well done.