I hope that we are all happy as we start heading into the new season with a brand new quarterback and new expectations. The past five years have been an incredible run for the Longhorn football team with more wins in the programs history than at any other time in our 127 year history.
Let’s all take a moment to reflect back when this run all started in the mountains of California. (love the personal videos!)
“The Kick” coupled with the maturation of one of the greatest Longhorn players, Vince Young, brought us the momentum we needed to achieve greatness. This greatness was realized the very next year with a 13-0 record and a BCS National Championship when the Horns beat the glitzy boys from Southern Cal 41-38. The ultimate responsibility of following up such a legend was laid upon the shoulders of a young face quarterback from Tuscola Texas. That young player named Colt McCoy had the support of an energized and confident coach in Mack Brown to continue that success for the next four years. Those four years culminated in three bowl wins including a Big XII championship.
This historic kick put the Longhorns once again on the brink of success in the BCS National Championship game until the story book run came to an end. Colt McCoy none the less provided more wins than any Longhorn or college quarterback has ever delivered with 45 wins.
Why do I recap these moments that everyone clearly has experienced themselves? The reason is the fear that we will forget the past and not appreciate the run as we start the 2010 season. This year’s team is loaded with standout defensive players all led by Coach Blood. Our offense has a few question marks, but blue chips can be found including the quarterback who grew up quickly before our eyes against Alabama. I know that we have questions at running back and we are changing our offense scheme to be a more running team, but we should win every game, right?!
I feel good about going into this year but not with the type of success that we have seen around here over the past five years. Garrett Gilbert is the real deal, but I see growing pains along with our offensive line struggling with him. I still see us reaching 10 wins, but I see that 10th win coming at Jerry World (aka the Cotton Bowl) after we finish the regular season 9-3. Who will we lose to… be sure to check out all of our predictions at 40 Acres Sports throughout the season before every game. I hope that I am wrong, but I do not see Dusty Mangum or Hunter Lawrence on our team so I will just appreciate the season before us.
Thanks for following my WTH articles throughout the season. I appreciate the opportunity to rant about the greatest University sports program in the country. You can continue to follow comments on all of UT sports on twitter at 40AcresSports or follow me at Horns1991. HOOK EM!!
Update: Will Muschamp says he didn’t interview with anyone and he’s happy at Texas. More info. (10:31 pm)
Wow. The college football coaching dominoes fall fast.
Saturday word broke that the Seattle Seahawks would hire USC’s Pete Carroll as their new head coach. Yesterday evening, instead of hiring Jeff Fisher or Jack Del Rio the Trojans bring in the obnoxious controversial Lane Kiffin after only one year at Tennessee. That started “riots” in Knoxville.
Are riots in Austin next?
According to Volquest.com, Texas defensive coordinator [tag]Will Muschamp[/tag] is at the top of Tennessee’s wishlist and they have reportedly already offered him the position. Muschamp is one of the two highest paid coordinators in the country and has been named Texas’ head coach-in-waiting, but head coach [tag]Mack Brown[/tag] just signed another contract extension and looks like he could be at Texas for several more seasons. Muschamp also does not have a buyout in his contract, meaning it would cost Tennessee nothing beyond his salary to get him out of Austin.
Muschamp has repeatedly stated that how much he loves Texas and loves Austin and that he intends to stay the defensive coordinator for the Longhorns until it’s his turn. But things change. Is the opportunity to be the head coach of an SEC power too good to pass up?
Both Geoff Ketchum of Orangebloods.com and the Statesman’s Suzanne Halliburton have reported last night and this morning that every source at Texas they talk to says Muschamp is saying. The one person no one has talked to is Muschamp himself.
I don’t expect the Muschamp rumors to last past today, this thing is going to go down fast. Either the school will make an announcement he’s staying (and probably a raise) or we’ll find out he’s gone. We’ll have more news when we hear it.
Update: InsideTexas.com now also reporting more sources saying Muschamp will turn down the Vols. (10:54 am)
Update: News has taken a turn for the worse. Seems once confident sources are now unsure what is going to happen. (4:40 pm)
Update: Will Muschamp flew to Knoxville this morning to meet with Tennessee. He reportedly turns down a $3 mil offer. More info. (8:30 pm)
Update: Finally. Will Muschamp says he’s happy and he’s staying at Texas. (10:31 pm)
ESPN is reporting the USC Trojans’ head coach Pete Carroll and the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks have reached an agreement in principle to make Carroll their next head coach. He may also become team president and have control over personnel decisions. This could be big for the Longhorns as top defensive end recruit Jackson Jeffcoat, who is believed to be deciding between Texas, Oklahoma, and USC.
Hope you have NFL Sunday Ticket, but [tag]Vince Young[/tag] has become must-see-tv again. Just like when he in college at Texas, he was Superman today for the Tennessee Titans throwing for 387 yards and leading a 99-yard gamewinning drive with 2 minutes left in the game. And Matt Leinart was there again too:
Last week’s game had them talking about Vince Young as an awesome weapon playing quarterback. This was an incredible performance that left the NFL experts gushing about Vince Young as an NFL quarterback. He was poised. He was accurate. He was Vince Young.
Related Links
The BCS standings for the week have been released and the Texas Longhorns are still sitting at number 3. The team’s impressive win over Missouri did earn the Horns a few first place votes and overall points in the human polls, and that gain allowed the Horns to gain ground on both [tag]Florida[/tag] and [tag]Alabama[/tag] in the BCS standings.
Iowa and TCU made big jumps in the rankings but Texas should still control their own destiny. As we see every Saturday, anything can happen so just worry about what you can control between the lines. Keep winning and the rest should take care of itself.
I am assuming this is probably agent/money related, probably similar to the whole Reggie Bush thing. Except it doesn’t look like Oklahoma State will get the pass that USC did. The path through the Big 12 South may have gotten just a little easier.
Update: This rumor is now confirmed.
Links: Dez Bryant ruled ineligible, OSU’s Dez Bryant rule ineligible
Even though Texas has a bye this week there is still plenty of college football going on. The weird thing this weekend is the fact that ESPN Gameday is at the Florida State vs Boston College game. Is anyone really interested in this game? Let’s check out the actual games to watch this weekend.
4 LSU at 18 Georgia (-3.5) – 3:30 PM EST on CBS. LSU is ranked 4 in the country, but they find themselves having to apologize for their high ranking due to their poor performance last week against Mississippi State. If they want to stay in the Top 5 they will have to bring a much better effort against the favored Georgia Bulldogs. The Bulldogs are 9-1 in their last 10 games against the SEC West and has won the last 3 matchups in this series. The real stat that I am looking at though is Georgia 1-7 ATS in their last 8 at home and 1-8 in their last 9 overall. Georgia just doesn’t seem to step-up in the big games. I like LSU plus the points in this one.
7 USC at 24 California (+5) – 8:00 PM EST on ABC. I will must say I am pretty bitter in regards to Cal after they completely laid an egg last weekend against Oregon. USC still has a lot to prove after losing to Washington and struggling against Washington State. USC is also dealing with the scary events of recent days when running back Stafon Johnson suffered a crushed neck and larynx after a weight lifting accident. I expect USC to pull together and play a tough game for star running back. Their defense has been outstanding and I see them putting a lot of pressure on the struggling Cal QB. Take USC in this one.
8 Oklahoma at 17 Miami (+7.5) – 8:00 PM EST on ABC. This is the game I have been looking forward to for a couple of weeks now. Oklahoma is without Sam Bradford again this week, but that hasn’t slowed them down as backup Landry Jones has filled in well. Oklahoma still has the athletes on both sides of the ball and I expect them to put a lot of pressure on Miami QB Jacorey Harris. He showed last week that he still has a lot to learn, making bad throw after bad throw. Those kind of mistakes won’t fly against Oklahoma. Oklahoma wins this one easy on the road.
According to the Austin American-Statesman’s Kirk Bohls, Texas and 2006 Rose Bowl loser USC are working on a possible home-and-home series in the relatively distant future. Nothing is remotely close to final, but the two schools are looking at setting up a pair of incredible marquee matchups for 2019 and 2020.
From Bohls’ blog:
Texas and Southern California are in the midst of serious talks about a future home-and-home series, possibly in 2019-2020, but nothing is close to being finalized, and it could still fall apart. Kudos to both football programs for taking such a risk and trying to put together what would be the Game of the Year for two straight seasons.
“USC is talking to a lot of schools – including Texas – about future football scheduling,” USC spokesman Tim Tessalone e-mailed back to the American-Statesman on Monday. “Nothing has been decided or finalized.”
A Texas spokesman also confirmed the two sides are talking but have nothing to announce yet. Rumors that Texas is also negotiating a series with Alabama are untrue, but the Longhorns are looking at other name schools.
Got your 2019 season tickets yet? The Horns are going to be must-see TV for the next 10+ years.
The first official college football poll of the 2009 season is out and the Longhorns are sitting at a great position debuting at number 2. They sit between the reigning champs #1 Florida Gators and the hated #3 Oklahoma Sooners in the top 5. This preseason spot puts a lot of expectations on the team but also leaves it where an undefeated season (even with a weak non-conference schedule) will guarantee the Horns a shot at the national championship.
Coaches’ preseason poll top 5
- Florida
- Texas
- Oklahoma
- USC
- Alabama
ESPN’s college football analysts talk about [tag]Florida[/tag], Texas, [tag]Oklahoma[/tag], and USC competing for the 2009 BCS title: