40 Acres Sports

Our Thoughts

Brian – When Texas started the season everyone thought the running game would carry them and the QB situation would be the team’s weak point. Redshirt freshman quarterback Colt McCoy went from question mark to seriously deserving Heisman consideration. He’s just a freshman won’t win it but you’re starting to hear his name pop up every now and then, he’s currently climbed up to ninth of SI’s Heisman Watch. It’ll be interesting to see if he can play well enough through Texas’ last three (or four) games to earn a trip to New York. Not bad for somebody who still looks like he’s about twelve.

Matt – Well, with Ray Rice not doing much against UConn, he is basically out of the running for the Heisman. Troy Smith continues to dominate, although that isn’t too hard when you are playing the worst of the Big 10. And I don’t really see why everyone has Mike Hart in the Heisman race. He doesn’t put up great numbers and he is playing on an offense that struggled to score 17 points against Northwestern. He has to be the most overrated player in the hunt.

Related Links

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

Man I wish this game was going to be on ABC.

Our Thoughts

Brian – USC has flirted with disaster all year and it finally caught up to them. Their loss helps clear up the murky BCS picture (that abomination always seems to manage to clear up by the end of the year) and is one less obstacle in Texas’ path on the way to a chance to repeat as national champions. Of course Texas is going to have to play a lot better than they have the last two weeks against Nebraska and Texas Tech if they plan on their slow climb up the rankings.

Matt – Man, what an embarrassing loss for USC, who go into Oregon State and just get throttled. Yeah, they came back and made it close, but they were getting dominated through almost 3 quarters. I think this was a long time coming though, as they were eeking out wins before this loss. Texas narrowly escaped the same disaster, with Colt McCoy leading the Horns to a tremendous comeback. I am still in shock when I think about some of the plays he made. Hook ’em.

Related Links

• Last week’s rankings
• AP Top 25
• USA Today Coaches Top 25
• Master Coaches Survey

Sounds like Vince’s early playing time could get him bigger bucks.

USC understandably caused some shifting in the top of the BCS, though there were a couple of changes that I really don’t understand. Why does an idle Louisville jump all the way from 8 to 5. Why does Florida jump ahead of Auburn with Auburn holding a win against Florida? Doesn’t make much sense if you ask me, but luckily we still have a few weeks ahead to narrow things down a bit more. Your thoughts?

Man, for the second straight week the Longhorns are on the verge of picking up a loss, but Colt McCoy just wouldn’t let it happen, in almost VY-esque style. Colt is starting to make the loss of Vince Young almost seem bearable. And can you imagine if Musburger was doing the game? He would have been all over Colt.

Tech did put up quite a fight, but when you can’t run the ball (-1 yards on the night), it just makes it that much harder to close out games. And honestly, if you can’t get an inch on 4th down, you just don’t deserve to win.

And there might really be something about this TBS curse. Just look at the last five games on TBS: Tech, down 21-0. Baylor, down 10-0. Okie Lite ’05, down 28-12 at half. Tech ’04, down 7-0. Okie Lite ’04, down 35-7 at one point. And how about this year’s Okie Lite game? Oh yeah, that is on TBS too. Let’s try to jump out to a lead for once.

Here are some other inital reactions after the game:

• Inches separate Texas Tech from upset
• Colt was absolutely Vince-esque
• Colt’s heart and poise
• Tech crying post #1
• Tech crying post #2
• Don’t forget about the Texas Tech Doll – Git Yer Guns Up

I’m not even watching TBS yet, USC is about to get upset by Oregon State with seven seconds to go after the Beavers stop Booty and the Trojans on a two-point conversion. That would of course be huge for the Longhorns as a loss would likely drop USC well behind Texas in the human polls and behind them in the BCS as well. Definitely a big help since Nebraska getting spanked by Oklahoma State today probably going to hurt the strength of schedule.

As for this game, Texas is on the road for the second straight week against a tough opponent in [tag]Texas Tech[/tag]. Last week the Longhorns were solid but inconsistent. The offense has to punch the ball into the end zone and the defense has to stop the big play. Can the banged up Texas defense stop the Red Raiders offense? Should be a good game, hopefully Texas plays four strong quarters and wins in solid fashion.

First Quarter

• Scott Derry and Robert Killebrew both on the sideline early in a passing situation. Drew Kelson in at linebacker.
• Defensive end misses a chance at a sack. Can’t let Graham Harrell step away like that and give him a chance to throw.
• Red Raiders holding like crazy already. Got called for it on one play but getting away with it on the inside.
• Mike Leach goes for it on 4th down and the Texas defense doesn’t make them pay. Gives Harrell all day to throw and he completes a long pass.
• Tech RB takes a screen pass and there’s nobody around. Easy drive and easy TD for Tech.

Texas 0, Texas Tech 7

• Texas offense has to respond and put together a solid drive. Get some points and give Gene Chizik some time to figure out what the hell to do the next time Tech has the ball.
• A couple of good solid passing plays for the Texas offense to get started. Don’t forget about the running backs.
• First running play is the GT counter and Selvin Young has to try to bounce it wide. Nothing there.
• Colt McCoy really does throw the ball well when he’s moving around. Looks like Greg Davis knows that as he’s had a designed roll out or two already.
• Couple of actual zone read plays and looked like McCoy had room to keep it both times.
• Terrible call by the refs as none of them actually saw a fumble. Looked like Charles was clearly down. Then he recovered the ball himself while he was down again. Bad call.
• How the hell does the replay booth not freaking replay that. I say it every week, but man is replay on college football the most worthless thing of all time.
• Bad call. None of the refs actually called it a fumble till 20 seconds after the play. Charles recovered it himself, had control, and was down. Certainly close enough to review without forcing Mack Brown to call for the replay. Terrible job as usual.
• Texas defense blitzing guys and not getting any pressure at all.
• On the scoring play it looked like we sent about 7 guys after the QB and none of them got within 5 yards of him. Easy touchdown pass.

Texas 0, Texas Tech 14

• Good drive before the “fumble” last series. Offense can’t panic. Put together solid drives and see if the defense can pull their heads out.
• 3rd and 2 and we freaking throw the football. Get under center and run it down their damn throats.
• Crap. Cheap shot on Mike Griffin and now we’re another damn player short in the secondary.
• Griffin back in there. “How did Harrell get that pass off?” Because the officials don’t know how to freaking call holding. You can’t grab a guy’s jersey and hang on when he’s rushing the QB.
• Ball clearly came loose. What the hell is wrong with the announcers? Pretty close play needing review of whether he had possession.
• He bobbled the ball and never really had possession. Not sure they got the call right, but it was close. I like that all the replay guys are like 80 years old.
• Announcers are making themselves look worse and worse. First they couldn’t see anything that happened and wanted to know why there was a review. Then they thought it was clearly a fumble. Every time you watched another replay you saw something new, so clearly there was nothing clear about it.
• McCoy throws it right to Tech for a pick 6. Right freaking to him.

Texas 0, Texas Tech 21

• Plenty of time left still against this defense. Let’s get 10 – 14 back before the half and then win the damn game in the second half.

(more …)

Vince Young talks about his life on and off the field, starting in the National Football League, the on-field adjustment from the college to the pro game and his thoughts on the new Reebok “When Did I Know?� campaign where he explains when he knew he was destined to make it to the next level. Here is the audio from the interview:

It’s pretty cool what Vince Young and Reebok are doing at his old high school, Madison High School in Houston, TX. Vince is teaming up with Reebok to award two students who reflect Reebok’s brand attributes with an “I Am What I Am” college scholarship in the amount of $2,500 each. It’s always good to see athletes’ who make a lot of money give back to their community.

Source

Cedric has done a good job in limited opportunities. (via)

Texas big over Tech and Baylor upsets A&M.