40 Acres Sports

Can Colt McCoy continue his Heisman-worthy play?

Coming off a loss to [tag]Texas Tech[/tag] that knocked the Longhorns from title favorites to title contenders, the team will look to rebound today against [tag]Baylor[/tag]. Sitting at number four in the BCS rankings if the Horns can take care of their business starting today they could easily climb their way back into things. Baylor is a better team than in year’s past so Texas won’t be able to sleepwalk through this one.

After a tough loss and a week of distractions, can Texas avoid the upset? Find out what we think below:

Brian – This is a huge game for the Longhorns. There are so many reason the team could be headed for a let down against Baylor, coming off a ferocious stretch of games and also coming off a loss. Baylor, led by Robert Griffin, is a solid team that as they showed last week against [tag]Missouri[/tag] can play with anybody these days. Texas is still a class above them and I think the leadership of this team is strong. [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag] and [tag]Jordan Shipley[/tag] are going to get back on track. We’ll also see huge games for linebackers [tag]Sergio Kindle[/tag] and [tag]Roddrick Muckelroy[/tag] as they try to keep Griffin from going off. Texas 48 – Baylor 20

Mike – This game could go two ways. The hangover of last week combined with a dead stadium early Saturday morning against the year in and year out door mat team of the Big 12 could lead to a tightly played, poorly executed ball game. Or Texas could come out and dominate trying to prove a point that last week is in the past. Great teams rebound from a tough loss and while I’m not convinced this UT squad is a great team, I do think they are mentally tough enough to bounce back from a loss that would send some teams into a downward spiral. Texas is bigger, faster, and should be hungrier than a much improved Baylor team. It won’t be the laugher it has been, but Texas wins going away after a slow first quarter. Texas 45 – Baylor 17

Can Sam Acho corral Baylor's Robert Griffin?

The way players perform after a breakout or a disappointing game says a lot about them. With a few players out because of injury and the heartbreak of last week there are going to be some younger Longhorns that must step up for this team against Baylor. Most years the [tag]Baylor[/tag] game is considered a gimmie, but this Baylor team, led by new coach Art Briles and freshman quarterback Robert Griffin, is capable of giving the Longhorns everything they can handle. These five players need to step up for this program to have success this week and beyond.

[tag]Foswhitt Whittaker[/tag]

Finally after weeks of hearing that Fozzy was ready to play the coaching staff let the speed red-shirt freshman get some meaningful snaps. Once he was in the game Fozzy showed what many onlookers had been looking for from him. He averaged seven yards on only six carries in the second half of last week’s loss. Before those gains the Longhorn offense could do nothing on the ground. Whittaker’s speed and elusiveness allows him to make positive plays even when the blocking isn’t perfect. That is just what this team needs because the offensive line play has been far from perfect. Whittaker is a smaller back that has already struggled to stay healthy, so don’t expect him to get over 20 carries. Expect him to get 10 touches or so out of the backfield and a few touches on shovel passes and screens. Fozzy can be the playmaker this backfield needs for the next few years if the staff shows confidence in his ability to carry the load.

[tag]Malcolm Williams[/tag]

Williams had his breakout game last week. He is another freshman with loads of upside. All year long Texas has been searching for a receiving threat to go along with [tag]Quan Cosby[/tag] and [tag]Jordan Shipley[/tag]. It took an injury to Cosby to allow Williams the opportunity to showcase his ability in a real game, but now that he has the hope is that he can continue to make a difference. Young players have the tendency to be inconsistent from one game to the next, so if Williams can back up last week’s effort with another solid performance the Longhorn offense may become that much better. Greg Davis’ offense has been reluctant to go deep throughout the year, but in the Missouri game and then last week, Williams has shown he is the type of player that can go up and get the ball. The more confidence Davis, and more importantly [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag], show in the young receiver the better this offense will be.

[tag]David Snow[/tag]

Texas Tech’s defensive line whipped up on UT’s offensive line for most of the night. Tech was able to get pressure on McCoy and shut down any thought for a consistent running game. Older guys like [tag]Cedric Dockery[/tag] and [tag]Charlie Tanner[/tag] are getting more and more of their snaps taken away by the younger guys. One of those younger guys is true freshman David Snow. Snow will start on the line somewhere next year. Offensive line coach Mac McWorther loves his mean streak. He has compared him to a bigger and more athletic [tag]Kasey Studdard[/tag]. No higher compliment can be made in my book. With the offensive line woes it wouldn’t be completely out of the question to see Snow get a start of Dockery by the time the year ends. The one thing that may keep Dockery’s job safe is the hole left at backup center because of the departure of [tag]Buck Burnette[/tag]. Snow will be the primary backup to starter [tag]Chris Hall[/tag] and the snaps he will have to dedicate to center at practice may keep him off the field at guard as a starter. Don’t be surprised to see next year’s potential starting lineup on the field at the same time with Michael Huey and Snow replacing Tanner and Dockery at guard.

[tag]Sam Acho[/tag]

It appears to be certain that starting defensive end [tag]Brian Orakpo[/tag] is going to miss the Baylor game because of the leg injury he suffered last week. His primary backup has been sophomore Sam Acho. Early in the year, and certainly during preseason camp, Acho impressed the coaching staff with his endless motor and nose for the football. Keeping containment while applying pressure will be crucial in this game because of the type of player Baylor’s quarterback is. Next year the Longhorns lose both defensive ends and it looks like Acho will definitely be one of the replacements. Just like Cosby’s injury allows guys like Malcolm Williams and Dan Buckner an opportunity to showcase their future ability, Orakpo’s injury gives a chance to emerging players such as Acho and [tag]Eddie Jones[/tag]. If Acho and Jones can gain confidence with Orakpo out of the lineup it will do wonders for this defense as it heads into the off season.

[tag]Blake Gideon[/tag]

The true freshman from Leander has exceeded everyone’s expectations. Not only has he come in to a program that many felt he couldn’t compete at and held his own, he has found himself as the starter for a top 5 team in the nation at safety for every game of the year. Gideon by no means lost the game last week with his drop of a potential game winning interception on Tech’s last possession, but with a young guy who is such a competitor it is likely he walked off the field believing he did. From everything we have seen of Gideon it would appear he would bounce back and use the adversity to get better. The worry is that he’ll play like a deer in the headlights for the rest of the year trying in vein to not make another key mistake. Secondary players must have a short memory, a lesson Gideon will have to learn early in his college career. As a coach’s son and a classic overachiever there is no reason to believe he won’t. Look for him early to see if he can make a play to restore some much needed confidence.

Can the Texas defense step up without Brian Orakpo?

For the first time in over a month Texas faces an opponent that hasn’t been ranked in the top 10 at some point in the season. The players and the staff faced the challenge of staying “up” for such a difficult streak of games, but getting “up” for a game against an inferior opponent like [tag]Baylor[/tag] after a heartbreaking loss may prove to be more of a challenge. Texas appears to have an advantage at every position, even with [tag]Brian Orakpo[/tag] and [tag]Quan Cosby[/tag] not likely to play.

When Texas has the ball

The Texas offense found their stride late in the Tech game after struggling to get anything going in the first two and a half quarters. [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag] had a decent game, but it was no where near the level he had been playing at before the second half of the [tag]Oklahoma State[/tag] game. The Longhorn offense struggled after Cosby went down, but the emergence of Malcolm Williams as a deep threat could be the silver lining. When Cosby is able to get back, and he will at [tag]Kansas[/tag], Texas will finally have a three wide receiver set that scares opposing defenses.

The biggest concern coming out of the loss in Lubbock is the play of the offensive line. The big guys up front got beat up for most of the night night. They couldn’t open up holes for the run game or protect McCoy in the passing game. The ability is there, and if some of the older guys like Cedric Dockery and Charlie Tanner don’t step it up they may lose more snaps to younger guys like [tag]Michael Huey[/tag] and [tag]David Snow[/tag].

Texas’ offense has gone all year without a consistent run game and it is probably naïve to believe one is miraculously going to appear. The hope for Texas is that a healthy and utilized [tag]Foswhitt Whittaker[/tag] can provide enough of a spark to take some pressure off of Colt McCoy. McCoy proved to be human last week and in those games the Longhorns have to be able to run the ball to stay effective. They couldn’t in last week’s loss and it may have cost them a shot at the Conference and National Championships.

Texas should be able to move the ball against Baylor. The Bears defense has allowed over 30 points in five of their last six games, all of which were losses. Applying pressure and creating turnovers are the only way Baylor stays in this game and the Bears defense has not been good at either.

When Baylor has the ball

This is not your older brother’s Baylor offense. First year coach Art Briles found his future in his first year. That future goes by the name Robert Griffin. The freshman quarterback has been nothing short of outstanding. He can run and pass, and was the last quarterback in Division I to throw an interception. For the first time in a long time Baylor has a player that can scare you on every play.

The Longhorn defense played well in the second half last week. The only touchdown they gave up came with one second left in the game. The task this week will be to rebuild the psyche of the young secondary. [tag]Curtis Brown[/tag], [tag]Blake Gideon[/tag], and [tag]Earl Thomas[/tag] all had a forgettable last minute of the game, and each of them may have left the field with the feeling they were the reason their team is no longer number one in the nation.

The staff and fellow players have spent a whole week assuring these guys that one play and one guy has never lost a football game. But with young emotional players no one can tell how they will react their next time out. They could turtle up and play tentative from here on out, or they can feed off of the emotion and become better football players because of it.

Texas lost their best player for the week in Brian Orakpo. Most would believe that Texas doesn’t need Orakpo to win the game, but when facing a dual threat quarterback like the one Baylor has every team would want to be at full strength.

Just like on offense, the biggest concern heading out of last game was the play of the defensive line. Texas Tech’s offensive line won the individual battles last week. Baylor won’t have the talent that Texas faced last week and it will be important to regain confidence with early pressure.

Texas’ speed should be able to nullify most of what Baylor would like to do. Even with Orakpo out Texas should be able to get pressure with [tag]Sergio Kindle[/tag], [tag]Sam Acho[/tag], and [tag]Henry Melton[/tag]. The key for this defense will be keeping Baylor out of manageable third downs. If Texas can force Baylor’s freshman quarterback into long distance plays, one would think defensive coordinator Will Muschamp can overwhelm him with schemes.

Malcolm Williams had a breakout game in the loss

It wasn’t the greatest game for the Longhorns individually. In the heartbreaking loss to [tag]Texas Tech[/tag] only Malcolm Williams had the kind of night you brag about to your friends. Most weeks it is a struggle to settle on the top 11 players, but this week it was a struggle to simply find 11 players to put on the big board.

1. [tag]Malcolm Williams[/tag] – All year Texas’ offense has searched for a legitimate deep threat out of their third receiver. Many around the program felt that the guy would be red-shirt freshman Malcolm Williams because of his size and speed. Saturday Texas found their deep threat, but it took Quan Cosby getting hurt to do it. Williams had without question his best game as a college player finishing with 182 yards on four catches including two touchdowns.
2. [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag] – Colt McCoy entered the Tech game as the clear leader for the Heisman trophy, and while Texas lost and McCoy didn’t play his best game he still led his team to a potential comeback. McCoy finished the game 20 of 34 for 294 yards and two touchdown passes. McCoy’s struggles came in large part to his offensive line getting manhandled all night. He was sacked four times.
3. [tag]Sergio Kindle[/tag] – It wasn’t a great day for the Texas defense, but Kindle made some plays. Kindle finished with six tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble. The Texas defensive line failed to get pressure throughout the night giving Tech’s offense all the time it needed to make plays. After Brian Orakpo went down with an injury Kindle was being used almost exclusively at defensive end.
4. [tag]Jordan Shipley[/tag] – Down 5-0 in the first quarter Shipley dropped a deep pass that would have given Texas the early lead. After that play Shipley played a pretty good game. He got Texas back in the game with a punt return for a touchdown in the second half. Shipley ended his night with six catches for 45 yards.
5. [tag]Roddrick Muckelroy[/tag] – The Junior linebacker continues to lead Texas in tackling in seemingly every game. Saturday night Muckelroy registered 12 tackles, most coming in the middle of the field. Tech had a little success running the ball, but in the second half Texas’ defense shut out the Red Raiders until their last drive of the game.
6. [tag]Earl Thomas[/tag] – Most people will only remember the last play of the game where the freshmen tried to undercut Harrell’s pass to Crabtree allowing a touchdown pass. What most people won’t remember is that Thomas was playing maybe his best game as a Longhorn before he took that chance at the end of the game. Thomas had ten tackles with two pass breakups on the night.
7. [tag]Foswhitt Whittaker[/tag] – Fozzy has been struggling all season to get on the field. Early in the year he suffered through two nagging knee injuries only to see senior Chris Ogbonnaya secure the running back position by the time Fozzy got back healthy. The Texas staff didn’t allow the speedy freshman to make an impact until the second half, but when they did the potential big play ability he brings to the position was clear. On a night where Texas could do nothing on the ground Whittaker averaged seven yards on six carries in limited action.
8. [tag]Roy Miller[/tag] – When Texas did apply pressure it seemed the big man in the middle was the one applying it. Miller went down with an injury during the game but was able to get back on the field. Miller has been the most consistent player on the d-line this year. He finished the game with five tackles and one of UT’s two sacks.
9. [tag]Hunter Lawrence[/tag] – You know it is bad when a kicker made an impact in a loss. Lawrence continues to be the model of consistency going two for two on the game. Lawrence has been perfect on the season even though he entered it without being expected to get the job.
10. [tag]Aaron Williams[/tag] – The true freshman doesn’t get the chance to play as much as the other corners, but he continues to stand out every time he is on the field. Williams is quickly becoming a playmaker on special teams recording another blocked punt against Tech. He recovered a fumble, had two pass breakups, and made a great play on a screen pass during the game.
11. [tag]Justin Tucker[/tag] – Two kickers on one list? I know, I know, but try to find someone who made more of an impact than Tucker. The rugby style kicks he utilized on Saturday night ended up working extremely well for Texas as they averaged over 50 yards. Tucker also continues to get his kickoffs consistently into the end zone.

Jamaal Charles had a big game for the Chiefs

It was a good week for Texas running backs and for the former Horns that play for the Tennessee Titans. This week’s group was led by Cedric Benson on offense and the continued dominance of Shaun Rogers on defense.

[tag]Cedric Benson[/tag] – Benson had his first 100 yard game as a Bengal this week against the Jaguars. It looks like Cedric is playing motivated football since his return after being cut by the Bears for charges that were eventually dropped. Benson had 104 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries.

[tag]Justin Blalock[/tag] – The Falcons keep winning and their offense keeps on putting up points. Atlanta beat up the Raiders in every phase of the game on Sunday. The offensive line play is allowing rookie quarterback Matt Ryan to have a big year.

[tag]Jamaal Charles[/tag] – The rookie running back had his best game of his young career as he went over the century mark on the ground for the first time. Charles got his chance because Larry Johnson is still suspended by the team and backup Kolby Smith went down with an injury. The speedster didn’t disappoint gaining 106 yards on 18 carries.

[tag]Leonard Davis[/tag] – The Cowboys keep stinking it up and a lot of it has to do with the play of the offensive line. Dallas has suffered injuries no doubt, but the running game is hurting and the quarterbacks have had no time to throw.

[tag]Phil Dawson[/tag] – The best kicker in recent Longhorn history went two for two with a long of 52 yards in a Cleveland loss.

[tag]Cedric Griffin[/tag] – Cedric Griffin had a decent day against the Texans recording four tackles. Houston struggled to get their offense going on the day as the secondary for the Vikings did a decent job.

[tag]Michael Griffin[/tag] – The Tennessee Titans are the best team in football right now, and they’re led by a group of former Longhorns. Griffin is the current standout of those former Horns because of his steady play in the back of the Titan defense. Griffin had six tackles in the overtime win over the Packers.

[tag]Ahmard Hall[/tag] – The Titan offense is not explosive in the passing game, but they get it done in the running game behind the lead blocking of the former Marine. Hall has become one of the premier true fullbacks in the NFL. He was even given a carry that he took for three yards.

[tag]Casey Hampton[/tag] – Hampton had a big game in the middle Monday night in a win over the Redskins. The big man has struggled with injuries and did have to come out of the game on occasion.

[tag]Michael Huff[/tag] – It wasn’t a good day for the Raiders or Michael Huff. The Falcons did whatever they wanted to do on Sunday through the air and on the ground. Huff finished with three tackles on the day.

[tag]Derrick Johnson[/tag] – It was a slow day for DJ as he finished the game with only four tackles. It appeared the Chiefs were going to win a game, but as bad teams are knows to do they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

[tag]Cory Redding[/tag] – The Lions are awful. They are the Los Angeles Clippers of the NFL. After controlling the game against the Bears they managed to give it away at the end. I feel so bad for Redding who finished with four tackles and a sack in the loss.

[tag]Brian Robison[/tag] – Robison recorded two tackles in the win over the Texans. He continues to only get snaps when the starters need a break.

[tag]Shaun Rogers[/tag] – Rogers is a monster. He has been dominating teams lately including nine tackles and a sack in the loss to Baltimore. Rogers will end up in Hawaii at the end of this season.

[tag]Bo Scaife[/tag] – Another Longhorn on the only undefeated team in the NFL. Scaife has become one of the most consistent targets in the league finishing the game against the Packers with four receptions for 26 yards in a game where first downs were few and far between.

[tag]David Thomas[/tag] – Thomas got the start against the Colts on Sunday night. He finished the game with three receptions for 29 yards in the loss.

[tag]Ricky Williams[/tag] – The former Heisman winner finished with 16 yards for the third straight week. Ronnie Brown has become the clear go to back in Miami with Ricky getting touches when the Dolphins go to their “Wild Cat” formation. He has made an impact in the passing game as he made his third catch for over 20 yards in two games.

[tag]Roy Williams[/tag] – Williams has not made the impact some thought he would coming to the Cowboys in a mid season trade. If anything the lack of production for Roy shows why there are so little trades made in pro football. In the loss, he caught one ball for 28 yards.

Wow. What a tough, heartbreaking loss to take. The Longhorns fell in the last seconds to the Red Raiders and may have had both their national title and Big 12 title hopes dashed in less than 90 seconds. Bevo Sports will have additional postmortem on the game in the next couple of days, for now watch the ESPN highlights below if you have masochistic streak:

Quan Cosby should have a big day against Texas Tech

The final game of Texas’ incredible four-game gauntlet is tonight at 7pm in front of a national television audience. The Longhorns will face off against the Red Raiders on ABC and with a win will become only the second team in college football history to beat four top 11 teams in a row. Check out how the Bevo Sports editors believe the Horns will fare tonight below:

Brian – A week ago the national media talked about how overrated Tech was and undeserving of being in the top ten, now this week somehow the same people are predicting the Longhorns will be upset in Lubbock. Not me, I think the Horns go out there and win big. The Texas Tech defense is not improved from years past and this is the same Tech team that struggled against Nevada, [tag]Nebraska[/tag], and Texas A&M. [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag] continues to dominate and the defensive line doesn’t give Graham Harrell time to think on the way to another solid Texas win over a top 10 opponent. Texas 48 – Texas Tech 28

Matt – I think what determines the outcome in this game is the Texas defensive front seven. Can they put pressure on Harrell and slow down the explosive Tech offense? I think think they can, and will do so in a dominate fashion. Everyone thinks this one will be close, but this one could get ugly quickly. Remember when we were all worried about the Mizzou game? Not sure we should be for this one. Texas 58 – Texas Tech 27

Mike – I keep trying to get nervous about this game. I know, I know, the game is in Lubbock, it is at night, Tech’s offensive is explosive and the defense is improved, Texas has to have a let down eventually, and Colt McCoy can’t be this good. I’ve heard it all and I may agree with some of it, but I just don’t see any team beating this Longhorn team right now. This team responds better on the road than at home and I think all the hype in Lubbock is only feeding into this team’s mentality of us against the world. Tech’s defense isn’t slowing Texas down, and Will Muschamp’s group can at least slow down this group enough for Texas to win. I don’t think this one lives up to the hype either. Texas 45 – Texas Tech 30

Things are heating up in the Big 12 South as two more undefeated teams square off on Saturday. Texas has to travel to Texas Tech where the fans remind me of those from the Philadelphia Eagles. The two best teams in the SEC also face each other this weekend, Florida vs. Georgia, in the “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” in Jacksonville, Florida. It doesn’t get much better than this folks.

I went 2-2 again last week as the Tech/Kansas game surprised me a little. There are really only 2 games to watch this weekend, but luckily both of them should be great.

#8 Florida at #6 Georgia (+6.5) – 3:30 PM EST on CBS. Florida is fresh off a huge route against Kentucky. Florida has really hit a groove on offense since losing to Ole Miss and their team speed looks unstoppable. Georgia is also coming off a big win absolutely destroying a good LSU team in Baton Rouge. Florida has to be looking for some revenge in this game after Georgia’s team celebration in the end zone. Whoever wins this game will take control of the SEC East. Bottomline is Florida’s team speed is too much for Georgia to handle and they will cover the touchdown.

#1 Texas at #7 Texas Tech (+3.5) – 8:00 PM EST on ABC. Another week and another undefeated Big 12 South opponent. This time Texas has to travel to Lubbock in their first big road test. The Tech fans can be rowdy, and this being a night game no doubt things will be extra crazy (drunk). Tech has proven they can score points (ala Kansas), but they have also proven they can struggle mightily (ala Nebraska and A&M). If Texas can pressure Harrell early they should be able to control the clock and the game. I think the defensive front seven of the Longhorns will be the key to this game. Colt will score the points, and the defense will save the game. Take Texas and give the points.

Can Lamarr Houston get quick pressure on Harrell?

At this point in the season teams offer very few surprises. They are who they are. Guys like [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag], [tag]Jordan Shipley[/tag], [tag]Brian Orakpo[/tag], and [tag]Sergio Kindle[/tag] are going to be crucial for Texas to win their fourth straight high profile match up in Saturday night’s game against [tag]Texas Tech[/tag]. Beyond those guys there are a few players that fly under the radar that are equally responsible for the Longhorn success.

[tag]Brandon Collins[/tag]

The Texas offense has moved from a good offense to a great offense starting with the [tag]Oklahoma[/tag] game. The main reason has been the implementation of the four receiver set and the main reason the set is working is because of the solid play of sophomore receiver Brandon Collins. Wide outs Jordan Shipley and [tag]Quan Cosby[/tag] get all of the hype, but when tight end [tag]Blaine Irby[/tag] went down with a knee injury one of the young receivers needed to step up. There were a lot of potential suitors for the third receiver spot with freshmen [tag]Malcolm Williams[/tag] and [tag]Dan Buckner[/tag] expected to get the snaps because of their physical skills, but it has been the sure handed Collins that has emerged as an every game player. His skills are in the mold of Shipley and Cosby in that he can fit into tight spots in the middle of the field. He is smaller and quicker than Buckner or Williams who rely on speed more than quickness. Cosby leaves after this year and his spot will be in good hands with Collins.

[tag]Adam Ulatoski[/tag]

The big offensive tackle has struggled through injuries in previous seasons, but has been able to stay healthy and hold down Colt McCoy’s blind side. Overall, the offensive line has played great, especially in pass coverage, and a lot of the credit has to do with the play of the junior left tackle. In the win over Oklahoma, Ulatoski shut down Auston English and has done so to all the defensive ends he faced before and after. McCoy’s mistakes come when he is rushed, so if this offensive line can give the Heisman front runner the time to sit back and pass with a clean pocket the Texas offense will pick apart a porous Tech defense.

[tag]Lamarr Houston[/tag]

The Texas Tech offense makes it hard for edge rushers to impact the game by using enormous splits for their offense line. The best way to disrupt a passer is to get pressure into his face from the middle and with the philosophy Tech’s offense uses in regards to splits, up the middle pressure is the best and sometimes only way to get to quarterback Graham Harrell. Fellow defensive tackles [tag]Roy Miller[/tag] and [tag]Aaron Lewis[/tag] are more gap style inside players, so the ex defensive end Houston will be the man to provide pressure for the front if Texas hopes to provide it. The importance of the inside pass rush could pay dividends to the outside guys like Melton, Kindle, and Orakpo because Harrell will be forced to move around, and once he does the speed of the Texas ends will be able to force sacks and badly thrown balls. Texas used their inside guys against [tag]Missouri[/tag] before having to use them to focus on the run last week against [tag]Oklahoma State[/tag]. Look for Texas to use the Missouri game plan again this week.

[tag]Aaron Williams[/tag]

In most cases freshmen in the secondary, especially true freshmen would spell certain disaster for a defense going up against the high powered passing attack of Texas Tech. At times in this week’s game the Longhorns will have three freshmen in their back five or six against maybe the best passing offense in the nation. Williams has played a lot of football this year, so inexperience isn’t as big of a problem as it may be in most cases, but with the nagging injuries to [tag]Chykie Brown[/tag] and [tag]Ryan Palmer[/tag] it looks like Williams will be counted on to step up big time. The true freshman from McNeil looks to have all the tools needed to be a big time player in the secondary, but no one knows if he is ready to play major snaps in a primetime game against two top 10 teams. My guess is he will be fine and that this secondary will be great for years to come.

[tag]Curtis Brown[/tag]

Curtis Brown is another young cornerback whose role has increased the last few weeks because of the injuries to the other cornerbacks and the styles of offenses the Longhorns have been facing. A lot of people on the outside of the program were concerned about Brown’s progress as little as three weeks ago, with many wondering aloud on message boards if it was time to move the athletic sophomore to offense. The former Gilmer star made a big play in special teams against OU in Dallas and since has played with the confidence a player in the secondary has to have. Coaches and players say all the time that what separates a lot of sports stars is plain old confidence. “Swagger” can turn a good player into an impact player overnight. The light has appeared to come on for Curtis and he’ll get plenty of opportunities to prove it Saturday night in Lubbock.

The football team is fighting hard for a national title but forget about the men’s basketball team because they’ll be back on the court and vying for a championship of their own soon. The first official poll of the season has been released and the Longhorns are ranked number eight in the ESPN/USA Today college basketball coaches’ poll. The Horns are behind some of the nation’s perennial elite teams and with the way [tag]Rick Barnes[/tag] is recruiting it looks like the team will remain in that company for years to come.

Check out the top ten teams below or view the full top 25: