40 Acres Sports

This could be one of the biggest weekends of the year in terms of national title implications. Arguably the top four teams in the Big 12 are playing each other, #1 Oklahoma vs #5 Texas and #3 Missouri vs #17 Oklahoma State (I think Texas Tech is probably a little overrated). Then you have the two powerhouse teams in the SEC squaring off with #4 LSU traveling to the Swamp against #11 Florida. And if you feel like checking out the boring Big 10, you get to see #6 Penn State playing at Camp Randall Stadium against Wisconsin.

Let’s take a look at a game in each of the big conferences. Remember, I did go 3-1 last weekend against the spread (for around the 4th straight weekend).

#5 Texas at #1 Oklahoma (-6.5) – 12:00 PM EST on ABC. For a #5 team in the nation, Texas has managed to keep a relatively low profile this year. I think that has been a blessing in disguise since it has let the team grow without a lot of added pressure. Honestly if you asked me to pick this game at the beginning of the season, I would probably have said Oklahoma without even a doubt. But with the way Texas has played this season and their improvement on defense, they have a legitimate shot of coming out of this one with a victory. Both offenses have overpowering stats and high profile quarterbacks. Neither quarterback has faced any adversity, and I think that will change greatly for Sam Bradford this week. Will Mushcamp has something going here in Austin, and I think that will be the difference in the game. I don’t bet on this game, but the Texas moneyline looks good.

#17 Oklahoma State at #3 Missouri (-14) – 8:00 PM EST on ESPN2. The O/U is set at 77 in this one and features the #2 and #3 scoring offenses in the nation, so you know some points will be scored. Both teams are undefeated when scoring 40 or more points since 2001, but that should change this weekend. This is basically a matchup of one of the nations best rushing attacks (OSU) versus one of the nations best passing offenses (Mizzou). I always prefer a better running game since it moves the ball more consistently and wears down the defense. This game should come down to whoever has the ball last. OSU might now win this one, but I think they easily cover the 14.

#4 LSU at #11 Florida (-6.5) – 8:00 PM EST on CBS. Tim Tebow has not impressed me much this season. And losing to Ole Miss at home? Come on now. LSU also has big questions at the quarterback position, but they have the defense to win them games in the SEC. I think they key here is LSU was off last week so they have had extra time to prepare and get some players healthy. Don’t take the points on this one, take LSU moneyline.

#6 Penn State at Wisconsin (+6) – 8:00 PM EST on ESPN. Yawn. Two more boring Big 10 teams playing each other. Not sure who is really going to watch this game with the two games above starting at the same time. Maybe if both games are at commercial? Penn State did not fair well in their last trip to Camp Randall Stadium (remember Coach Pat’s broken leg?), but it should be a much different game this year. Penn State is better than Wisconsin in every phase of the game and will dominate this game. You know what, don’t watch this one, just take Penn State and win some money.

The Longhorns and Sooners are set to square off Saturday morning at the Texas State Fair. The two teams, both ranked in the top five, look to be evenly matched and both feature Heisman candidate quarterbacks running the show. As is often the case in rivalry games, it could come down to players who aren’t superstars to lead their teams to victory. Read on to see the five Horns you’ll want to watch Saturday in the [tag]Red River Rivalry[/tag].

[tag]Chris Ogbonnaya[/tag]

Chris “O” had a coming out party of sorts last week against Colorado. The senior running back does a little bit of everything. He is Texas’ best blocker and receiver coming out of the backfield and with Foswhitt Whittaker’s status still up in the air Chris may have the most big play ability as well. [tag]Mack Brown[/tag] tends to go with guys he trusts in games like these. The staff trusts few players more than Ogbonnaya. The kid does anything he asked too and that are the type of players who win games like these. Look for Texas to use him out of the backfield when they get him matched up with a linebacker. Anything he provides on the ground will be a bonus Saturday in Dallas.

[tag]Chris Hall[/tag]

The offensive line struggled at times against [tag]Colorado[/tag]. Forcing McCoy to run when he is not ready has been the recipe for success against Texas and up until that game not many people had been criticizing the big guys up front even with the running game being inconsistent because the pass protection had been so good. Hall has played every position on the line and is counted on to make the right reads and calls in regards to protection before the snap. If Texas can handle OU’s pressure allowing McCoy time to sit in the pocket then the Horns have a real chance to do damage. The holes in the running game have been there, it is on the backs to get to the hole, but knowing the backfield lacks that burst these guys need to hold their blocks a fraction longer. UT has been a block away from an explosive play more than once this year, and if they can pop one this weekend it may be what they need to get a win.

[tag]Deon Beasley[/tag]

These are the types of games that prove being called a “starter” is overrated. With the type of no-huddle spread offense OU runs, Texas is going to run a lot of 3-3-5 with [tag]Sergio Kindle[/tag] playing end or linebacker depending on the situation, and with Beasley coming in to play the fifth defensive back. The junior has as much talent as any corner back on the roster, and the loss of his starting job has had more to do with the impressive play of fellow corner [tag]Chykie Brown[/tag] than Beasley playing poor. Oklahoma likes to pick out a few guys and try to exploit them. Beasley, along with the two freshmen safeties, would appear to be the guys. One of the corners needs to create a turnover. Brown and [tag]Ryan Palmer[/tag] have shown their lack of hands. A big play by Beasley early could get the Sooners away from their game plan.

[tag]Jared Norton[/tag]

Norton is taking more and more snaps away from senior [tag]Rashad Bobino[/tag]. And with the opportunity, Norton is responding well to coach Will Muschamp’s aggressive, attacking style of defense. The junior from Rowlett excels when allowed to play down hill and attack the ball. He even showed some coverage skills last week with a nice break up on an out route. Texas would like to use three linebackers throughout the game and feel like they can because of Kindle’s versatility, but don’t be surprised if Kindle comes off the field with Norton and [tag]Roddrick Muckelroy[/tag] at linebacker when UT goes with four down lineman. Stopping the running game will be crucial in this game to make OU one dimensional which will allow the guys on the outside to pin their ears back and attack the quarterback. If Norton can be steady in the middle it will allow the defense to unleash a full barrage of blitzes.

[tag]Hunter Lawrence[/tag]

Nobody is sure what [tag]Ryan Bailey[/tag] did to lose his job, but everyone is sure Hunter Lawrence isn’t giving it back. In his first year as the kicker, the ex Boerne star is four for four with a long of 46. The Red River Shootout hasn’t been decided by less than seven points this decade, but I have a feeling this one could be close and close games come down to special teams. The team that misses a field goal or gets a punt blocked or returned for a touchdown is going to lose the game. Big plays have a way of sucking the life out of the crowd and the team at the Cotton Bowl and neither teams that much better than the other where they can overcome it. I’ll take Texas’ special teams because of [tag]Duane Akina[/tag], Lawrence, punter [tag]John Gold[/tag], and kick off specialist [tag]Justin Tucker[/tag]. The Longhorns have the advantage in this area for the first time in a long time, and must take advantage of it to come back to Austin undefeated.

Some really cool stats from ESPN’s Big 12 blog on how [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag] and his fantastic 2008 season stack up against the best all-time seasons by Texas quarterbacks. Five games into the season, Colt’s QB rating is by far the highest and his total touchdowns are eight more than [tag]Vince Young[/tag] in 2005. The stats are also a reminder of just how good Major Applewhite’s 1999 season was. Check them out below:

Quarterback	Yr	RYds	Avg.	TD	Comp%	PYds	Int	TD	Rating	Record
Major Applewhite	1999	-46	-2.2	1	64.8	1,492	1	10	150.73	4-1
Chris Simms	2002	-2	-0.1	2	56.1	1,161	3	10	132.03	5-0
Vince Young	2005	355	5.5	2	62.4	1,021	5	10	162.17	5-0
Colt McCoy	2006	59	3.0	1	71.1	846	2	10	174.29	4-1
Colt McCoy	2008	317	7.0	4	79.2	1,280	3	16	197.94	5-0

In the first week of conference play every team that was supposed to win did just that. [tag]Iowa State[/tag] gave [tag]Kansas[/tag] a heck of a run so they move up one spot even after a loss, but no one else moves. This week should be much more interesting as four of the top five teams in the conference go head to head.

Check out this week’s Big 12 power rankings below:

1. [tag]Oklahoma[/tag]

   
   LW: 1

   The Sooners throttled an overmatched Baylor team and ended the game quickly by putting up 28 first quarter points. Baylor QB Robert Griffin ran well against them so maybe [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag] can do the same this week when the Sooners and Longhorns face off.

2. [tag]Missouri[/tag]

   
   LW: 2

   Mizzou wins in Lincoln for the first time in thirty years in a rout. The Tigers’ defense continued to give up big yards (particularly through the air) but only gave up 17 points to the Cornhuskers. This week the Tigers face Oklahoma State.

3. Texas

   
   LW: 3

   The Horns took care of business easily against CU in their conference opener. The offense wasn’t perfect but the defense nearly was in the team’s win. This week the Longhorns will try to take down rival and top ranked Oklahoma.

4. [tag]Texas Tech[/tag]

   
   LW: 4

   Tons of points for both Tech and Kansas State. The game was never in doubt for the Red Raiders but the team’s defense still is. The team faces a good passing offense this week in Nebraska and we’ll see if they’re up to the test.

5. [tag]Oklahoma State[/tag]

   
   LW: 5

   The Cowboys whooped the Aggies and at 5 – 0 are climbing up the national rankings. The team advantage of five Aggie turnovers and won easily despite giving up a lot of yards. The Cowboys face a big time defensive test this week against Missouri and I don’t think they’re up for it.

6. [tag]Kansas[/tag]

   
   LW: 6

   Uh oh. I was tempted to drop Kansas even after squeaking by with a win against Iowa State. They had to rally from a 20-point halftime deficit to the Cyclones but surprisingly held their #16 national ranking. Should be an interesting game against Colorado this week.

7. [tag]Colorado[/tag]

   
   LW: 7

   Colorado coach Dan Hawkins desperately needs to find offensive line help or he’s going to get his own son killed. The line was completely dominated by the Longhorns and therefore couldn’t get anything started on offense. They travel to Kansas this week for a battle to be the North’s second best team.

8. [tag]Nebraska[/tag]

   
   LW: 8

   They ran their mouth during the week and then spit on Missouri QB Chase Daniel before the game but got blown off the field once the game started. They make way too many mistakes (penalties and turnovers) to be a good team. Up this week is Texas Tech.

9. [tag]Baylor[/tag]

   
   LW: 9

   They’re still Baylor, in case you were wondering. Despite looking like an improved team early in the season they didn’t put much of a fight against Oklahoma. The defense surrendered nearly 600 total yards and 49 points in game that would have been much worse if OU hadn’t started taking it easy after just one quarter. This week the Bears have a winnable game against Iowa State.

10. [tag]Iowa State[/tag]

    
    LW: 11

    The Cyclones move up one spot despite losing. They jumped out to a big halftime lead but just couldn’t hold onto it once KU got going in the second half. The game could have been either a sign the team is getting better or a backbreaking loss that sends them into a tailspin. We’ll find out Saturday against Baylor.

11. [tag]Kansas State[/tag]

    
    LW: 10

    The Wildcats put up some yards against Texas Tech but were bad on third downs and couldn’t put up nearly enough points to make up for their defense. KSU needs to win their next two games against A&M and then Colorado if they hope to pull themselves up from the bottom tier of the conference.

12. Texas A&M

    
    LW: 12

    As predicted, the Aggies got their butts kicked against Okie State. The offense did put up a ton of yards but turned the ball over five times in the first half. This week they face a pretty average Kansas State at home so we’ll find out if they’re as bad as we think they are. Should be fun(ny).

BevoBeat has posted three nice long videos of interview sessions with [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag], [tag]Ryan Palmer[/tag], and [tag]Chris Ogbonnaya[/tag]. The team sounds ready to come out and give the Sooners hell. Watch the videos below to see the guys talk about this week’s match-up.

Colt McCoy talks about being a Big 12 quarterback and how much he loves the week of Texas/OU:

Ryan Palmer says the team needs to practice hard and the defense needs to tackle better to stop the Sooners’ offense:

Chris Ogbonnaya shares a story about the “lovely” Sooner faithful:

Source

Watch this video of SI’s Peter King then read my rant below…

Somehow the various talking head NFL experts have somehow gotten it into their head that Kerry Collins is the solution at quarterback in Tennessee. Peter King in the linked video is just the latest example of these guys speaking as if Collins is having some great season and [tag]Vince Young[/tag] is a chump. That argument isn’t sound and fails under the least bit of inspection.

Collins isn’t actually playing well. I’m not sure what games anyone is watching or box scores they’re looking at that say he is.

Until this week he was doing a MUCH better job of not turning the ball over than Vince but otherwise he’s been mediocre. Collins has completed just over 50% of his passes and is throwing for less than a touchdown per game. How is that good? His completion percentage is almost seven points lower than Vince’s was last year. Oh, and Collins’ yards per attempt this year are also lower than Vince’s in 2007.

If you take Collins’ numbers over four starts and assume he started 15 games (the number Vince played in last year) and he’d have 11.25 touchdowns and 11.25 picks over the course of the season. Is that really that much better than Young’s 9 and 17 last year? Last stat: Young’s QB rating in 2007 was 71.1 and Collins’ this year is only two points higher at 73.1.

2007 was an admittedly bad season for Vince but somehow the same numbers are good for Collins? How’s that logic work again?

So after all that… you are seriously going to tell me the Titans are going to cut their future and take a big hit on the salary cap because of VY’s bonus, so they can pay and play a 36-year old QB who isn’t very good? Give me a break. Peter King is talking out of his butt on this one.

Coach him up, get his head right, and help him understand he doesn’t have to make a huge play every time. If you cut down on INT’s and then there’s absolutely no facet of the game Collins is better than Vince. Vince was not good last year, but he has a future and a ton of potential. Let Collins be the backup or go be average somewhere else.

Now that you have heard the great OU Sucks songs, it’s time for the Red River Rap Battle put on by Quick DFW. This year we have a goofy looking dude who goes by Playdough (seriously?) representing Texas, and some punk named Dawg Wonder representing Oklahoma. The funniest quote comes from Dawg Wonder though:

“If I where to fight my battle opponent in the ring: Have y’all actually seen Playdough? Unless he knows karate, I’d murder him.” I kind of agree with him on that one.

Check out the audio below and be sure to head on over to Quick DFW and vote for your favorite rapper.

Who do I send my check to to make sure [tag]Will Muschamp[/tag] stays in Austin for at least one more season? ESPN’s Pat Forde has an outstanding article on the Texas defensive coordinator that will make you want this guy around for a long time. Check out some of these choice quotes from Muschamp:

• “Stats are for losers. I like winning games.”
• “Jog off the field! Jog your ass off the field, goddammit!”
• “I like what I do. It’s my job to get these guys to play well and play physical. I play through them. When they make plays, I make plays. When they make a mistake, I make a mistake.”
• “Boom mother****er! Knock these mother****ers out!” (Okay that’s an old one.)

I just hope we’re as enamored about Coach Muschamp after this weekend and after this season as we are now. I was excited about the scheme and the energy he would bring before the season, so the fact that the defense has performed better than expected hasn’t changed anything. What do we (I’m looking at you DeLoss) have to do to keep him around and make sure he gets the chance to finish turning this team into a consistently dominant defense?

Every game between Texas and OU is huge, but with the rankings and the BCS implications the 2008 meeting carries extra weight. Both teams enter the game as top 5 teams, and the winner not only has the inside track to win the Big 12 South, but also has to be considered the favorite to play for the national championship at the Orange Bowl.

When Texas has the ball

Texas enters the game without a clear cut go to running back, a tight end that can catch, and a receiver that can stretch the field. Yet, the offense has been clicking on all cylinders due to the stellar play of third year quarterback [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag]. This week is not the time to try and tinker with things offensively so expect McCoy to have the ball in his hands most of the game. I wouldn’t be surprised to see McCoy throw the ball 40 times Saturday, especially if the Horns find themselves playing from behind. Most onlookers feel OU has the mental advantage heading into these because of the blowouts that started this decade, but none of these players were on those teams. In fact, the Texas players in this game have won two out of the last three against the Sooners, and last year could have easily been won if it weren’t were a few key mistakes by NFL rookie [tag]Jamaal Charles[/tag].

Oklahoma’s defense is good, but the secondary is not great. McCoy and his receivers will have a clear advantage in the passing game as long as the offensive line gives him enough time to get rid of the ball. Texas’ line struggled last week in blitz pickup at times, but the coaches and players have suggested that it was due to Colorado playing uncharacteristically. OU will be OU, and [tag]Greg Davis [/tag]and his offense should know what to expect.

I don’t see Texas being able to run the ball consistently against this Sooner front seven. The Longhorn offense has struggled to run the ball against lesser opponents and to expect the light to just come on would be unrealistic. The only chance Texas has of creating plays in the running game is if Fozzy Whittaker is able to play and play well. The added speed he gives the backfield allows UT’s offense to run the zone read much more effectively. I expect the backs to be used as receivers as much as anything else.

This game will come down to turnovers and protection. Texas has excelled in those areas so far in the season, but the level of competition and emotion will be sky high on Saturday. If Texas can control the ball and limit mistakes there is a good chance this offense is able to put up points against Oklahoma.

When Oklahoma has the ball

Oklahoma’s offense is scary good. The introduction of the no huddle as their primary offense gives the Sooners an overwhelming number of advantages. It allows quarterback Sam Bradford to snap the ball before defensive adjustments and substitutions are made. OU’s running game hasn’t been a world beater either as running back DeMarco Murray hasn’t had the same burst he had last year in the Red River Shootout when he took a huge run over 60 yards for a back breaking touchdown.

Texas’ defense has gotten better each week. The secondary play has improved dramatically, but most of it has to do with the pressure the defensive line has been able to produce. It will be interesting to see if the back four (or five when they play in nickel) will hold up if Bradford is allowed time. OU’s line is the best in the nation and it may force defensive coordinator [tag]Will Muschamp[/tag] to blitz more than he would like. If Texas can create pressure with the front four it will allow for more players to cover Oklahoma receivers.

I expect UT to handle the Sooner run game, so just like when Texas has the ball expect Bradford to control the game for OU. The quarterback who makes the most mistakes or faces the most pressure will likely leave Dallas as the loser.

The key for Texas’ defense will be to utilize the depth in the front four they have tried so hard to build. If a guy like [tag]Sam Acho[/tag] or [tag]Eddie Jones[/tag] can provide pressure when [tag]Brian Orakpo[/tag] is getting a breather it will make OU’s no huddle offense less effective. For the first time since Bob Stoops took over in Norman I feel that Texas has the advantage in coaching because of [tag]Major Applewhite[/tag] and Muschamp. If Texas’ defense keep them in the game all the credit in the world must go to the first year coordinator that has single handily changed the mindset of this group of young Longhorns.

Hook ’em.

Well it’s that time of year again, where we get to make fun of OU and talk trash all week. It’s always fun to look back at all of the great songs and images detailing just how much OU still sucks. Ok, well they don’t suck this year, but when we beat them this year they will be crying just like this little boy over to the right.

I also have to include two great songs from the band Apollo XVIII. Not sure if they are still together, but they did manage to produce some classics, None Suck Better and OU Sucks.

Apollo XVIII – None Suck Better

Apollo XVIII – OU Sucks

If anyone has any another other songs or images they feel are worthy, please hit me up in the comments and I will add them here. OU Sucks!

None Suck More Than OU