Bevo's Daily Round Up: 12.29.08
by Peter Bean on Dec 29, 2008 1:21 AM CST
in Football
13 comments
Starting today, BDR will now run on the front page, as Dime Coverage's round up is the best of its kind and risks being missed in the increasingly crowded FanPosts. Moreover, the Round Up complements -- rather than competes with -- the more analysis-focused Morning Coffee. Bear with us as we experiment with some formatting issues as well as how much to include above the cut (so Dime's exhaustive round ups don't bury everything else). And please join me in thanking her for what has truly become for Longhorns fans the essential post to start the day. --PB--
The game of football has evolved in Texas. Once a state known for producing great running backs, now it's quarterbacks. The Dallas Morning News looks at the how and why of the state's transformation.
And which state produces the best college coaches? They come from Ohio.
The Washington Post looks at the benefits and stability of the coach-in-waiting.
Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini's and defensive coordinator Carl Pelini’s father has died. Condolences to the Pelini family.
Once again, our condolences to Iowa State. Justin Eilers, a Cyclone linebacker from 2000-01, was shot and killed.
Football isn't just about the competition. This is one of those times.
As much as the Longhorns might enjoy the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, they'll be wishing they were a couple of thousand miles away, in south Florida, preparing for a national championship game. No one is questioning the Longhorns' qualifications, just whether they want to be in the Valley of the Sun against Ohio State. The Texas players will probably be quizzed Monday, when they arrive in Phoenix. Like I said, I have seen the future of UT football, and lo, it is good. Like many young players, Nicol came into the program hoping to play a starring role, which in his mind meant catching passes and scoring touchdowns. That hasn't happened at Ohio State in recent years. Not since 2003, when Ben Hartsock had 33 catches, has a Buckeyes tight end been heavily involved as a receiver. Since then, the high-water mark for an Ohio State tight end is 16 catches. This season, the tight ends have caught 10 passes -- six by Nicol and four by Jake Ballard. No matter what, the Fiesta Bowl will be the Ohio State swan song for senior quarterback Todd Boeckman, and sources close to the program told The Dispatch that coach Jim Tressel might have a duet in mind for the former starter. They said don't be surprised to see Boeckman and freshman starter Terrelle Pryor on the field at the same time for some plays when the Buckeyes take on the Texas Longhorns. It will be the final game of Person's five-year career, and the final chance to honor Armic and Edna's late son Doug, a Xenia schoolboy star who went on to play for Ohio State, just like Person. Doug Adams was one of the famous "Super Sophs," a starting linebacker who helped lead the Buckeyes to the 1968 national title. He was killed in a bicycle accident in 1997, and when Person signed to play for OSU in 2004, he chose to wear Adams' old number in memoriam to his hometown hero. Ohio State coach Jim Tressel is aware of all the snickering taking place behind his back, directed at his team's miserable failures in recent big games. It seems most college football fans and media observers consider the Buckeyes a bunch of overrated chokers who can't compete with the nation's best teams. They've come to that conclusion because the Buckeyes have played poorly in four nationally televised games the past three seasons. I see a close game, but – all homerism aside – I think Ohio State wins this one in solid fashion – say, by 10 points or so. A.J. Abrams scored 21 points to lead the Longhorns (10-2), but Texas’ rebounding made the difference. "We didn’t want to come in here and let them out-tough us," Abrams said. "I think we did a good job of cleaning up the glass." Lucas started all 36 games as a freshman at Florida but decided after one exhibition game before this season that he would leave. He told Houston television station KRIV on Sunday that he chose the Longhorns over Rice and Baylor. "Texas has always been my dream school. I always wanted to go there," he said. "I hope I can come in and contribute and be a part of something big." Lucas said Texas coach Rick Barnes was a key to his decision. Photo by Phelan M. Ebenhack, AP Photo Since winning what his position coach, Joe DeForest, refers to as the Heisman Trophy for punters, Fodge has enjoyed the limelight often reserved for quarterbacks, running backs and receivers. "It's been really fun," he said, "probably the most fun since I've been here." Among the national leaders in pass efficiency, he ranked fourth. Bradford was first, McCoy third. Robinson, who has thrown for 2,735 yards and 24 touchdowns, has scored seven more touchdowns on the ground while rushing for 508 yards.
"A lot of what they do, you see it, it’s basically almost like running the wishbone," Sooner coach Bob Stoops said. "Tim Tebow is the quarterback, they motion guys in and they’re running the zone read, the option off of it." The emphasis for the Sooner defenders in preparation for Florida will be reading their keys and sticking to their assignments. "Guys who are juniors and going in the second and third rounds, that isn't right. You're giving up too much school. You're giving up too much here for that." "They haven't played against us. . . . Nobody puts 60 points up on us," declared Florida defensive back Joe Haden. "It's a challenge for them to come against us, honestly, because they haven't seen a defense like us," Haden said. "With the speed and the physical play and just knowing our assignments and just flying around. They probably played some good defenses, but our defense is definitely one of the top." And, forget about all those fancy numbers, Haden said. Forget about predicting a 100-98 football game in Miami. He wants blood, guts and spit to determine the winner, not flash and dash. "Whichever defense is going to step up, that's who most likely is going to come out on top," Haden promised. If Florida's not careful, they might run into a talented defense that causes some three-and-outs. Or at least that's what Oklahoma State All-American receiver Dez Bryant wouldn't mind seeing. "When Jan. 8 comes around, we'll all see what the answer is," Bryant said."And if Oklahoma comes through, it'll be self-explanatory how good our conference is. If Oklahoma wins, nothing too much (bad) will be said about our conference again." The hoops teams have followed the leads of their pigskin peers. Five of the 12 league teams are ranked among the top 30 nationally in scoring offenses.Making Mike Leach proud, Texas Tech is the highest-ranked (fifth in the country), and sure to put a smile on Chase Daniel's face, Missouri is close behind in eighth, tied with Oklahoma State. It's tough enough watching so many sparsely-attended games being played during Thanksgiving week in exotic locales, but to have all these neutral-court contests being scheduled well into December is bad for the game. I would submit to coaches that there are worse things than losing a road game. The players prefer to play in on-campus arenas, the fans have a better time there, and it makes for much better television. The bottom line is, college basketball belongs in college. If we wanted to watch hoops played in antiseptic environments at half-empty arenas, we can watch the NBA. Texas and freshman safety Blake Gideon - A second chance at an interception that would have ended the "Miracle in Lubbock" and given the 'Horns a January trip to Miami over Glendale. Bo Pelini, Nebraska's head coach, ranks 11th in Big 12 coaches pay. The picture formed by the data is one of schools frequently spending more than $1 million annually on academic support, with some spending hundreds of thousands of dollars more in 2008 than they did in 2004, the AP found. Eight BCS schools reported spending increases of more than 70 percent in the last five years. Four -- South Florida, Illinois, Georgia and Kansas -- more than doubled spending.
Football
What do about that somewhat on, somewhat off running game? Mack Brown ponders the question.Quan Cosby's maturity and leadership is a big factor in this season's success. He is also two shy of 200 receptions in his college career. The Horns better be ready for one question to come up over and over again in Glendale.
40acressports has a Texas-Ohio State match-up.Charles McClure, Lake Travis View, has first-hand knowledge of Chris Whaley, Paden Kelly and Garrett Gilbert. He is looking forward to the future.
The Ohio State University Buckeyes
Ohio State tight end Rory Nicol has accepted his role for the team. It isn't about the individual, but what is good for the team as a whole.
OSU landed last year's most highly sought football recruit in the country, Terrell Pryor. Here the past year of his life.Pryor replaced Todd Boeckman as the starting quarterback, but you might see both Boeckman and Pryor on the field at the same time in the Fiesta Bowl.
OSU guard Ben Person wears number 63 in honor of a hometown hero.
The Buckeyes are playing for more than just a bowl win.
How will Jim Tressel motivate his players for the game? He probably has no idea.Eleven Warriors puts together a fantasy game between all-time greats from both schools. Of course, they believe the Ohio State team would win.
Basketball
Texas beat Wisconsin at their home court in Madison. It is a tough place to play.
Texas coach Gail Goestenkors and the Horns beat UTEP 79-40.Jai Lucas, the former University of Florida guard, will transfer to Texas.
Collegiate Baseball 2009 Preseason Division I Ranking has Texas pegged at the 10th spot. Texas opens their 2009 season with a weekend series against Illinois-Chicago at UFCU Disch-Falk Field from Feb. 20-22. Did you know UT has an ice hockey team?
Football
Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever. ~Napoleon Bonaparte. Oklahoma State punter Matt Fodge has experienced both. His position is one that tends to go unnoticed, but then Fodge was selected as the winner of the Ray Guy Award.Texas Tech walk-on kicker Matt Williams is still living every little boy's fantasy.
Just call him Mr. Irrelevant. Zac Robinson got lost in the shuffle of talented Big 12 quarterbacks, but his stats proved otherwise.
NewsOK's Barry Tramel believes the Big 12 m_click=lead_story_title" style="color: #c8181d; text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent;">prowess is largely inbred.ESPN's Tim Griffin lists his 30 most important moments of the 2008 season.Are Big 12 defenses too soft?The Sooners
Easier said than done. How can Oklahoma stop the Florida offense and especially Tim Tebow?
Sam Bradford just might return for the 2009 season.
Stoops was referring to the three juniors who left OU after last season. Wide receiver Malcolm Kelly and linebacker Curtis Lofton went in the second round after being told by agents they were first-round material. Cornerback Reggie Smith slipped to the third round.
"You know where all the projections were a year ago," Stoops said. "And none of them went (that high)."
That means Stoops will use last year's draft to make sure this season's juniors are aware of what could happen if they leave. And to tell them how much more money they'll make if they stay in school another season.OU's offense has been tough on defenses his year, but Florida is not worried.
The word must have gotten back that people don't think much of Big 12 defenses.
If Sam Bradford leaves OU for the NFL, who will be next in line?The Florida Gators still have a little Stoops in them today.Basketball
ESPN's Dana O'Neil looks at Big 12 basketball.
Daniel Blank, Sporting News, looks at who will be the spoiler in the Big 12, breaking up the Oklahoma-Texas monopoly.More Christmas gift giving, basketball style.SI's Seth Davis likes his college basketball where it belongs... in college.
The College Football Guys put out their Christmas list. Texas Freshman safety Blake Gideon was first on the list. Ohio State got a gift, as well.
FoxSports Pete Flutak has his Christmas list for all 119 teams.The Southern Political Report takes a look at Rep. Joe Barton's bill to eliminate the Bowl Championship Series (BCS).
Following the gravy train of college sports... money.The Holiday Bowl definitely has an upside for the host city. With the economy tanking, tourism dollars from Oklahoma State and Oregon fans are flowing into San Diego.Mike Gundy will receive a $400,000.00 bonus for taking the Oklahoma State Cowboys to a third consecutive bowl game. Bob Stoops only gets $250,000.00 for the national championship.Schools are investing more money in athlete's academic performance.
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A stat line Rick Barnes would love to have
While conference play has yet to start, I’m ready to jump on the womens’ basketball team bandwagon. The wins over ranked teams (particularly Tennessee) have been impressive, but hidden in the details on the stat lines are some nuggets that make me giddy – and probably have RB green with envy.
Let’s look at the results of the UTEP game:
1. None of the 5 starters played more than 20 minutes. All of the 5 reserves played 20 minutes or more. This means two things – a very experienced bench come conference play, and very fresh legs come tourney time. I’ve checked, and no other team in the top 10 has this kind of balance.
2. 22 of 23 from the charity stripe. After woeful results in the first few games, Coach G has obviously made free throw shooting a point of emphasis in practice, with remarkable results. Texas hit 30 of 33 against ASU after hitting 20 of 29 against the Vols. Kat Nash has hit 26 in a row over a span of the last 5 games.
3. This team is performing with Barnes-esque efficiency on the defensive end. They held UTEP to 26% shooting, including 0-6 from BTA in the 2nd half. The team talled 8 steals and 3 blocks. Blocks have been a particularly strong stat this season, with true freshman Ashley Gayle providing Sexy Dexy-type numbers in her limited minutes, and senior Ashley Lindsey adding Good Connor finesse with her amazing length and quickness.
4. The girls share rebounding dominance with their male counterparts – but by a much larger margin. They notched a 48-26 advantage against UTEP, and have outrebounded their opponents in 10 of 11 games. They are strong on the offensive glass as well, which resulted in a 15-3 edge in second chance points.
5. The Horns are acceptably efficient on offense as well, and will only continue to improve as the season progresses. While they will struggle with defensive juggernauts like aTm, the speed at which this team plays is difficult to describe. You just have to see it live. Can’t wait to see them running circles around the Twin Towers from Norman. Last night Texas finished the game with 46% shooting, despite going without a bucket in the last 8 minutes of the game. Erika Arriaran seemed to lose confidence in her shot against Tennessee (0-9) and her struggles continue, but Coach G will help her work through that.
6. Texas finally has an inside game again. Fans fondly recall the Stacey Stephens days and have been waiting for a dominant post presence ever since. Ashley Gayle will be Stacey Stephens good in another year, but in the meantime skinny-as-a-scarecrow Ashley Lindsey provides a surprisingly disruptive presence in the middle of the lane and is rapidly moving to the top of the career shot blocks ranking. Last night the Horns had 17 offensive rebounds which resulted in 15 second chance points. Texas also had a 28-18 advantage in points in the paint.
7. No need to long for a true point guard either. Texas lucked out when Coach G convinced Carla Cortijo to stay at Texas rather than transferring to St. Johns last year. She runs this high-speed offense with efficiency and is a true pass-first PG. She also plays incredible D. Coach G has a multitude of options at point this year as well (Brittainey Raven and Erika can both play the position, and both freshman guards have made the transition to college ball much quicker than we could have hoped) so we don’t have to rely on 30+ minutes from Carla. That results in a much higher level of intensity on both ends of the court from our Puerto Rican pistol.
I’m not ready to proclaim this team as Final Four material just yet, but they are piling up the evidence in every game so far. I thought they were a year away from contending for the Big XII title and making a deep tourney run. But the improvement of the returning team members, and the rapid learning curve of the three freshmen, has me believing that this could be a very special season indeed.
Still a Blaine Irby fan
by patienthornsfan on Dec 29, 2008 2:54 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
The Chuckwagon - agents in college baseball?
It’s a murky world, and maybe 40AS can provide more light on the subject, but there’s an interesting piece on an Oklahoma State pitcher from last season (Andy Oliver) on Baseball America.
The Barattas were at a 15-minute meeting with the Twins and talked to the Twins twice on the phone. That’s what Andy’s in trouble for. At that time, they were offering like $400,000. What lawyer could let an 18-year-old kid negotiate a contract like that by himself? That would be malpractice. That’s why the rule is invalid on its face, because it interferes with the ethical obligation a lawyer has to protect his client. The NCAA is attempting to regulate lawyers, but they’re not allowed to.
Reading the daily links in The Chuckwagon reminds us all of how much money is tied to collegiate athletics. I’m just as concerned as the next guy about that money making it to the playing fields. But the guy has a point – shouldn’t student athletes have access to expert advice when making decisions about turning pro? Texas probably offers more resources than most other schools, but there has to be a balance between making sure the game stays clean and making sure the athletes make the right decisions about maximizing the money they can make with their talent.
Still a Blaine Irby fan
by patienthornsfan on Dec 29, 2008 3:03 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
And which state produces the best college coaches? They come from Ohio.
Damn right.
by gahnki on Dec 29, 2008 4:31 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Chizik hires Malzahn as OC
That’s a good move by Chizik. Wasn’t Malzahn the OC when we played the Piggies in Fayetteville a few years back? Seems like Chizik went up against Malzahn in that game.
“Gus is one of the great offensive minds in college football and we are very excited to have him join the Auburn staff,” Chizik said. “His track record at all levels of coaching is remarkable and his offenses have been extremely successful both running and passing the ball.”
“This is an exciting opportunity to coach at Auburn, get involved with the Auburn family and work for Coach Chizik,” said Malzahn, who won three Arkansas state titles at two high schools. “I can’t wait to get to Auburn and get started.”
Still a Blaine Irby fan
by patienthornsfan on Dec 29, 2008 8:41 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Good hire for Auburn
But no, Malzahn was not with Arkansas in 2004, he joined the Razorbacks for the 2006 season.
by GhostofBigRoy on Dec 29, 2008 11:08 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Malzahn is a great OC and apparently a pretty good recruiter. Maybe Auburn isn’t as screwed against Bama as I originally thought. He was the co-OC at Arkie but apparently got the same treatment that Major did at Bama – he was basically ignored in the second half of the season. Reading between the lines he was only hired to aid in the recruitment of three of the stars on his then-HS team – most notably 5* QB Mitch Mustain who was ranked the #1 QB in the country by a few recruiting services. There were also two 4* receivers. They all eventually transferred after Nutt began running an offense (the wild hog) with no QB at all and essentially no pass attempts.
Mustain chose for some reason to go sit on the bench at USC where he’s now listed third on the depth chart behind Sanchez and a true freshman.
by hodad on Dec 29, 2008 9:55 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
I think it's a great choice to put this article on the front page
I’ve been enjoying dimecoverage’s posts for some time. Complete, informative and also interesting. This was due. Good job.
by UT92 on Dec 29, 2008 10:14 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
No kidding...
I was absolutely dying here at the in-laws with nothing much to read through the Christmas days. Thank you dimecoverage, et al. for bringing BDR back.
On a somewhat related note, I’m here in Missouri for the holidays. Getting here from San Antonio required my family and me to drive through Oklahoma (p-tooey). We drove as far as Gainesville, TX and stayed in a hotel there (just south of the Red River), gassed up in the morning, and drove through the state of the land thieves. I refused to get gas, refused to eat their food, refused to spend a single nickel in that God-forsaken shithole. The only thing we stopped for was to take a shit in Norman, and to piss in Braman (just before crossing into Kansas).
I’ll do the same thing on our return trip home.
Hook 'em Horns
by LonghornWSO on Dec 29, 2008 9:47 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Good stuff, Ami, but I'm getting damn sick of that tOSU photo.
Although I like the player about three rows back who is perpendicular to everyone running out.
I think the blockquote below the Tech kicker goes top the story above.
Tremendous volume.
I personally don’t think Bevo’s horns need to be stretched out.
by whills on Dec 29, 2008 12:38 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Blame most of it on Peter. :-)
The banner graphic will be different and yes, the block quote goes with the Tech kicker.
I’ve grown attached to the running sweater vest look, but I’ll look for another OSU photo just for you, whills…
by dimecoverage on Dec 29, 2008 5:06 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
You don't really have to. I wasn't wanting to like tOSU or their artifacts at this time.
I just growl a little more each time and that’s appropriate for the season.
I know y’all come up with a great intro banner with some kind of kewl Bevo head shot. Kudos on front page; well earned. I do think you need a Bevo rear shot as section breaker for any OU and Aggie talk you might include. heheheh
by whills on Dec 29, 2008 6:28 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
A man in a sweater vest.
You have to respect Jim Tressel. A guy that wears a sweater vest is completely secure in who he is.
by dimecoverage on Dec 29, 2008 7:05 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
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