Bevo's Daily Roundup - November 10, 2009

"I've called the computers. They haven't called me back," Brown said.
"I've invited them to our games. I don't think any of them have shown
up."

The computers were not impressed with Texas' win over Central Florida.

The computers, collectively, weren't so impressed with Texas' 35-3 dismantling of Central Florida.

When the latest Bowl Championship Series standings were released Sunday, the Longhorns dropped to third, behind Florida and Alabama.

The Horns are not concerned about the drop to No. 3.

Texas must be feeling pretty good about where the Longhorns stand in the BCS standings when coach Mack Brown can crack jokes about it — even when they dropped a spot.

Texas (9-0) stayed at No. 2 in The Associated Press rankings, but fell to No. 3 in the Bowl Championship Series standings Sunday after beating unranked Central Florida 35-3.

Alabama jumped the Longhorns to No. 2 after beating No. 9 LSU 24-15.

Texas doesn't have any ranked opponents left in the regular season, but Brown knows if the Longhorns can win their last three games and the Big 12 championship game, Texas should coast into Pasadena, Calif., for the BCS title game on Jan. 7.

"Everybody has told me if we do what we need to do, we'll play in the last game," Brown said Monday.

Cody Johnson is at the top of he depth chart.

We are back to those comparisons with the 2005 team.

The only other time Texas started 9-0 under Mack Brown, the Longhorns celebrated a national championship after the 2005 season.

Brown said Monday that the current team has more work to do.

"At this time, they've earned the right to be in the conversation with the 2005 team," Brown said. "But they haven't earned the right to be considered as good, because they have to finish like that team did."

I have some bad news. Nebraska is the Horns' achilles' heel.

Two years ago this month, the Nebraska Cornhuskers surrendered 76 points in a loss at Kansas. Three weeks later, the 'Huskers gave up 65 points in a nationally televised, season-ending defeat in Boulder.

With Saturday night's 10-3 win over Oklahoma, the 'Huskers have now given up an average of seven points in their past three games. They've held the opposition to 10 points or less six times in nine games.

Rest assured, folks — the Blackshirts are back.

And if you're a fan of the burnt orange down in Austin, that fact probably shouldn't go unnoticed.

Yes, though the offense looks more like a middle school starting 11 than a college one these days, the Nebraska Cornhuskers — still unranked and under the radar — have emerged as one of the few teams in the nation still capable of throwing a wrench in the assumed plan for the BCS Championship Game.

But The Wall Street Journal thinks Texas would crush the Cornhuskers in a conference title game.

The Bears

Bears can be a royal pain in the ass.

Art Briles likes to call the Big 12 South a neighborhood.

Baylor coach Art Briles likes to call the Big 12 South the neighborhood.

A place where everyone knows each other better than his own family. A spot where brothers wrestle, fight and sometimes make up (and sometimes don’t).

Inside the neighborhood is an even smaller cul-de-sac where the Texas teams play — and that’s where Baylor will hole up for the final three weeks of the season.

If Baylor wins on Saturday, they might get to go to a bowl game.

The Big 12 bowl lineup is out for next season. Most of the games will be in Texas and out West.

The powers that be. The traditional powers lead the North.

By the end of Saturday’s action, Kansas State and Nebraska had established themselves as the division leaders. Rather, they re-established themselves.

The Cornhuskers and Wildcats were conference kingpins when the Big 12 opened for business, combining to win the first five North division titles. But they haven’t been good together in several years, at least good enough to win the kind of games they won on Saturday.

Mack Brown is very happy for Bill Snyder.

"He's the master," Brown said Monday during the Big 12 conference call. "He's a wizard at what he does. I was happy for college football and Kansas State when he came back. I wasn't happy for the rest of us, because I knew he was going to get it fixed fast."

The Cornhusker defense might be good, but the offense needs work.

Nebraska has scored just four offensive touchdowns in its last four games. The Huskers totaled 180 yards against the Sooners.

Pelini says there is a “tremendous sense of urgency” to improve on offense.

The Jayhawks are getting better at pass blocking, but they still can't run.

Entering Saturday’s game, the unit had hoped to improve on facilitating the team’s run game and in reducing the number of sacks allowed, and while the ground game stalled for the fourth straight week — Kansas managed just 60 yards on 23 carries — quarterback Todd Reesing appeared to have plenty of time to maneuver in the pocket.

“I think we pass-protected much better today,” Mangino said. “The run game never really got going as well as we’d like. There’s no excuses for it, but I thought our kids blocked better up front.”

Is this the worst Oklahoma team of the decade? (And be sure not to miss the comment about the Nebraska defense in the video.)

The college football season is winding down and it is getting...boring.

So instead of marquee matchups, the next three weeks will be much more like the last two. The biggest stories will be about questionable calls by officials on the field, and in the replay booth, and coaches being slapped on the wrist or fined for voicing their feelings about the officiating.

Sounds exciting, doesn’t it? Has the highlight of the week in college football come down to Lane Kiffin’s latest quip? Or whether Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive will fine coaches for pointing out rather obvious missed calls by officials?

Pete Carroll was shocked USC jumped Oregon in the polls.

``You're kidding?,'' he said. ``I think that's a crazy stat. I don't understand. That doesn't make sense at all. Somebody should be questioning that. I felt they weren't getting enough credit going into our game.''

It is now just a waiting game.

There are just three remaining scenarios to consider:

First and most likely, Texas wins the Big 12 championship and meets the SEC champion.

Second, Texas loses in the Big 12 championship game, and the SEC champion faces a one-loss SEC team in a rematch of that league's title game.

Least likely, Texas loses the Big 12 championship game, the SEC title-game loser has two losses and the SEC champion faces a surprise undefeated team (Cincinnati, TCU or Boise State).

We can all learn something from TCU?

With an impressive blowout win (the kind the rest of the nation's biggies can't seem to post) over San Diego State, our very own TCU has jumped up to No. 4 in the latest BCS standings. Slim as it may be, the Frogs have a chance to become the first non-automatic qualifier to jump up and make an appearance in the BCS title game. How cool would THAT be?

The Big Picture has the teams everyone loves to hate.

And finally...

Maybe the Aggies could scout this football tournament to get some help...