40 Acres Sports

Rematch with a [tag]Colorado[/tag] team that the Longhorns handled easily back in mid-October. The Buffs were flying high then but they’re reeling now after two straight losses and backing into this game. They’re certainly a good enough football team that Texas can’t overlook them and just cruise through. They need to get up early and then just pour it on.

Give it up to ABC for actually managing to show the game in high definition, of course only ABC could manage to keep that a complete secret all week long. Seems like that might be the kind of thing that a network would want people to know to draw in viewers. This will be my first ever Texas game to watch in HD, it’ll be interesting to see if I can stand not being able to rewind and watch replays that ABC doesn’t bother to show.

First Quarter

• Colorado doesn’t run the option like Texas A&M does, but they definitely watched film of that game and Oklahoma State. They come out early and run a successful toss sweep for a first down. Texas defensive ends and linebackers must do a better job against the outside run.
• I don’t know what Robert Killebrew was just doing in pass coverage. Third and ten and he lets the Colorado TE get free for the reception. It was a zone defense but he and Aaron Harris were essentially holding hands in the middle of the field while leaving the flats wide open.
• Fumble! Michael Huff makes a sure tackle and forces the CU receiver to fumble the football. Big break for Texas.
• Designed run for Vince Young early to get him involved in the rushing attack. VY breaks a tackle and goes for 18. Good to see him running and fired up.
• Look who’s freaking back! Great scramble by Vince. Several good moves and then just plows over a tackler and takes it down to the one yard line.
• Henry Melton behind the right side of the line for the one yard touchdown. Horns get on the board first.

Texas 7, Colorado 0

• Time for the defense to answer. Offense game out and got early points, now we need the defense to get a quick stop.
• Why does the 25-yard line have special coloring? Isn’t it always the 20? The refs just spotted the ball in the wrong place after a touchback because of it.
• Huff all over the place early in the game and two CU dropped passes help the Horns force a three and out.
• That’s the first time I’ve heard anyone talk about Mack Brown’s lack of a conference title as a coach with any logic. There’s not a ton of excuses for not having one in his time at Texas, but in his previous stops at Tulane and North Carolina there’s not much hope of winning one.
• Jamaal Charles looks healthy and fast. Wooo! Just took an option pitch from Vince for a big gain.
• No huddle is great, but I kind of wish we’d huddle up for a third and 3 inside the 20 yard line.
• I’d much rather have the ball in Charles’ hands than Ramonce Taylor’s on a third and short. Much better at just getting down field and picking up the necessary yards.
• I just love having Jamaal Charles in the backfield. Simple and easy arrow route out of the backfield and he catches the pass for a touchdown.

Texas 14, Colorado 0

• Just a reminder to myself before I relax too much, Texas was up 14 – 0 against A&M last week too.
• Good kickoff coverage.
• Buffaloes are holding like mad men. The CU running back just used his legs to wrap up a guy in pass protection.
• Crap, Michael Huff is hurt. Maybe an arm or shoulder?
• Holy crap are we pathetic against the option. Joel Klatt looked half-retarded on the play but he managed to drunkenly stumble for a big gain.
• Now the other safety is on the ground hurt. Michael Griffin decided to lead with his helmet instead of wrapping up and making a sound tackle and hurt himself.
• More blocking with their legs by Colorado. I guess the refs are going to allow that crap today.
• Another option but this time the Texas defense actually plays it correctly. Linebacker slow-played Klatt and forced the pitch while giving the rest of the defense time to get out there.
• Big third and 11.
• If the guy in the Citi Simplicity commercial is paying his credit card online, why does he need a paper copy of the bill to make a payment?
• Looks like they have decided to stop Colorado’s constant holding, two calls against them in a row. Aaron Ross breaks up the pass and forces a field goal try.
• Blocked field goal!! Brian Robison got his white ass up and got a solid hand on it. Ross tries to pull a Nathan Vasher and picked up a ball he shouldn’t have for the return. Not a bad return by him but there’s an illegal block and Texas is backed up to their own 6.
• Crap. Limas Sweed doesn’t make the catch on what might have been pass interference and CU intercepts the pass. Crap.

(more …)

Sure hope the Horns aren’t taking Colorado as lightly as the media is.

Mack looking for first conference title and Horns looking for title shot.

Aggie Congressman Joe Barton must be wondering why 5 wins didn’t get A&M a BCS bid.

How is USC beating a Fresno State team by 8 at home an example of the “Trojans running wild,” while Texas beating a rival Texas A&M on the road by 11 is struggling? I’m not saying Texas didn’t struggle, just wondering how beating a 4-loss WAC team that also just lost to Nevada and Louisiana Tech is such an accomplishment?

The USC double standard is still in full effect.

It’s conference championship Saturday, a weekend pretty much everyone who isn’t an athletic director wants to get rid of. Texas fans who purchased their airfare to California a month ago are definitely wishing they could just sit back, relax, and watch somebody else play football today.

There are a couple of games worth watching after Texas hopefully punches their ticket for the Rose Bowl, #11 UCLA at #1 USC at 3:30 pm. Half of Longhorn nation is rooting for USC so Texas can have a chance to take down a dynasty, while the other half is hoping for a UCLA upset and an easier road to a national title. The SEC championship between #13 Georgia and #3 LSU goes down in beautiful CBS high definition at 5 pm. LSU will be doing a lot of scoreboard watching before their game hoping for an upset and a Rose Bowl birth, but they’ll have to beat a very good Bulldog team and hope for some BCS magic to jump Penn State.

Should be a fun Saturday, here’s our picks for the games:

Related Links

• Last week’s picks
• SI.com Top 25 Scoreboard

Our Thoughts

Brian – Vince Young definitely didn’t take advantage of his national stage on Friday, but I see no reason to move him from the top of the list. The national writers who claim he blew his chance and declared Reggie Bush, had made their decisions before last Friday. Where was Reggie’s huge game against Washington, Washington State, Cal, or Stanford? He’s allowed to have 4+ games that aren’t Heisman-caliber, but Vince can’t have one? I know we live in a “what have you done for me lately?” society, but if you look at each player’s complete body of work you’ll see Young has been more consistent, more impressive, and more important throughout the year.

Robert Hubbard? Who’s Robert Hubbard you ask? Well he had 146 yards (at 9.1 yards per carry) and 3 touchdowns for Nevada against Fresno State Saturday. If one 294 yards and 2 TD’s suddenly makes you the unanimous Heisman winner, then Hubbard’s performance should definitely earn him a trip to New York.

Matt – Looks like the top 4 of our Heisman ballots are pretty similar. I still feel that Vince Young is the top candidate, mainly because his past performance is really his only subpar game this year. And is it just me or are you tired of seeing Reggie Bush highlights during the middle of the week on SportsCenter? It is like they are bored and feel like, hey, why not promote Reggie Bush for no reason at all.

Related Links

• Last week’s Heisman poll
• ESPN Experts Poll

Barry Switzer even said the Texas job was the best out there.

Our Thoughts

Brian – The only movement in the top 15 is a several spot drop from Notre Dame after their thoroughly unimpressive performance against Stanford. Despite the win, they fall two in my raknings to number 10. I’m downright shocked to see that both the AP and coaches finally dropped the overrated Irish behind Ohio State at least.

Numbers 20 – 25 are a crapshoot every week, and three teams I had their last week went down. This week I’m throwing in a bunch of random non-BCS schools in there. Don’t really think 4 or 5 loss teams from the Big 12 etc. are worth it, so might as well give the little guys some love.

Matt – Talk about a scare with that Texas game against Texas A&M. But the amazing part about the whole thing is that even though Texas probably played their worst game possible, they still scored 40 points on the road. The Ohio State/Michigan game was also amazing, and somehow Ohio State came back to give me the miracle cover. Thankfully Michigan has no defense.

All of this Notre Dame and BCS talk is making me sick and I went on a little rant over at Sports Four. I really don’t see any logical arguement for why Notre Dame should go ahead of both Oregon and Ohio State, other than money/ratings.

Hopefully Texas and USC will take care of business this weekend so we can have a Rose Bowl for the ages. Although I wouldn’t mind seeing USC lose, that way Rose Bowl tickets would be a lot cheaper.

Related Links

• Last week’s rankings
• Harris Interactive Poll (PDF, 28 KB)
• Master Coaches Survey

Constant Texas basher thinks Vince should win the Heisman, of course he’s just trying to be a contrarian.