When Living The Dream Turns To A Nightmare
by Wescott Eberts (GoBR) on Jan 8, 2010 3:42 PM CST
in Texas Longhorns Football
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PrintI don't have any problem admitting that I'm numb right now and have been ever since the attempted comeback ended when the Texas line predictably allowed a pass-rushing linebacker to take a free shot at Garrett Gilbert in the empty set. As the numbness begins to wear off, I'll go back and watch the game again and begin analyzing what went wrong. After the numbness wears off and after the mammoth file of the game finally downloads.
For now, thanks to this piece from Eyes of TX, I'm choosing the spend the next few hours -- probably about a day or so -- reflecting on the achievements of this team, this group of seniors, The Roommates over the last two years and where the program is going forward. So some of the eventual game analysis will revolve around the first extended look at Garrett Gilbert, providing a too-early glimpse of the now-starting quarterback.
As the Narrative begins to unfold over the next several years, there's a strong chance that Gilbert will be leading his own group of Longhorns to the same type of success -- those will be the expectations. In the long wait until the next gameday for Texas football, a glorious Saturday in too-distant August.
But back to the time for appreciation. For right now, let go of your anger fellow Longhorn fans, be it anger at cruel fate, the coaching staff, or individual players -- if there's anger in that strange combination with numbness. If you're like me there is at least. Take a deep breath, give yourself one last chest bump for all the seniors and smile because even such a crushing loss can't diminish the awesomeness* of being a Longhorn fan at the beginning of 2010.
*The word awesomeness brought to you in honor of Colt McCoy.
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God bless Colt McCoy
thats the reason im most numb right now
Itll just be different not seeing him in the game next year. I miss him more than I missed Vince when he left.
Colt has done numbers for this program. Sacrificed so much, and never got his chance. I love you Colt and hope that you win the Super Bowl someday
"We'll be baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!"
Agreed, I just feel terrible for McCoy
I think his interview at the end tells it all. I know its such a strange twist of events that he accomplished so much in his career and yet his fate was decided so early in this game, but I believe he has some strange sort of peace with it. That is the great thing about faith, gives us something bigger to believe in.
"I want to be remembered as the guy who gave his all whenever he was on the field."
-Walter Payton
Anger turning to numbness
After reading this my anger last night and today really was at the coaching staff for letting the boys down, IMHO.
But yea, anger is slowly fading as I let go of the one game and reflect on the entirety of the last few years.
Colt Mcoy- You can be my wingman anytime.
Your tongue can't repel flavor of that magnitude!!
by UT2001 on Jan 8, 2010 4:27 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
In the water after the plan went down
“Sir, you’ve gotta let him go!”
As disbelieving as we are right now, we’re gonna have to let Colt go.
I have said to my friends before and I say it again
I am so proud to be a Longhorn today…
Look guys, this is life and at times it plays cruel jokes on us.
But I know this, there are so many fans out there who wish that their team plays the way ours does. A 13 win season and 11 consecutive 10+ win seasons is no joke. We swell our chests in pride every year, when we see the Texas longhorn team, Bevo and the horn symbol stand for a winning tradition.
After watching the game yesterday, I have no doubt in my mind that we would have won had Colt played. I will not argue about it, I will not discuss it, I know it in my heart and thats what matters.
I am extremely excited about GG and what he brings to the table. I am excited for the defense and for a renewed offense that will have Blain, DJ Grant coming back. We will have Darius White, and Mike Davis come in to add to the special performance that I know only Goodwin will provide.
WE ARE TEXAS
and my love for the longhorns will never change
by Crimson Fog on Jan 8, 2010 4:14 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
when the Texas line predictably allowed a pass-rushing linebacker to take a free shot at Garrett Gilbert in the empty set.
Couldn’t have said it better myself. I posted something to this effect on another thread earlier. What a bonehead play call and execution.
Other thing bothering me is the Saban/Stoops/Pellini conspiracy though it had no impact. Bunch of jerks.
by SpiritOfTheFedora on Jan 8, 2010 4:15 PM CST reply actions
I wouldn’t blame the offensive line for that. It’s the QB’s job to direct the offensive line when he sees an on coming blitz, and since Garrett doesn’t have much experience he missed that one.
I thought he was blindsided
"If you think you can be stopped, this isn't the place for you."
by austintexasbaby on Jan 9, 2010 9:11 AM CST up reply actions
Either way its still his job to change assignments.
In post game he said he felt the pressure coming and thought he could get the ball out of his hand in time.
ATX
Not blaming the offensive line
I’m in MIke Gundy mode right now. It’s all on the coaches for not preparing them.
by SpiritOfTheFedora on Jan 9, 2010 11:36 AM CST up reply actions
…and the bonehead empty set call backed up to the goal line with a true FR quarterback. We need to seriously reevaluate and tweak the offensive philosophy.
by SpiritOfTheFedora on Jan 9, 2010 11:42 AM CST up reply actions
It was somewhat unlikely they will blitz rather than droppign 8 on the coverage
GD just guessed wrong.
COACH BOOM BABY!!
Are you joking?
Unlikely that a Saban defense would blitz a freshman quarterback with the game on the line?
Geez man, please go study some more before making statements like that.
by SpiritOfTheFedora on Jan 9, 2010 5:06 PM CST up reply actions
We bash on Oline so lets give them credit when it's due.
They played great in the game and I am really proud of the way they protected GG in the game.
Some of the WR screens were actually working and for the most part of the game, the blocking was above par. Gaining 88 yds against Bama defense with inadequate passing game is an accomplishment for this group of OL.
That blind side blitz is relatively common in the game of football. Although it shouldn’t happen, often a defender gets thru w/o being touched. This happens to Colt, Peyton Manning, and even to SEC’s 2nd coming of Jesus Christ, Tim Tebow (his concussion play). It was just unfortunate play that took our hopes away (man that sentence sounds familiar)…
COACH BOOM BABY!!
…and the tackle ALWAYS has the option to play off his guy and pick up the blitz. Ulatoski was free on that play though he blamed it on the protection call not being made in time. Please go watch the play again.
by SpiritOfTheFedora on Jan 9, 2010 5:12 PM CST up reply actions
Quick note from a bama fan:
I saved this and most of the post-game interviews on my DVR. Colt’s interviews were amazingly classy, as were most of the Longhorn fans I met.
God Bless Colt McCoy!
Thank you Colt for everything you have done for the Texas program. For doing it the right way. I admire you for giving credit to your Lord and Savior. Good luck in the future.
Like everybody else, I’m still numb. Not because of the loss, but because of the “what if”. But as Colt said, it’s not our place to question why. I’m proud of this young man because he has so much more perspective than I have about this.
I was sad tonight when my 8 year old son was watching the replay (it still hurts, btw) and I told him that Garrett Gilbert will be our starting QB next year because Colt is going to be leaving Texas and going to the NFL. He was so hurt because Colt is his all-time favorite player. I feel bad for my son, but he is also a TRUE Texas fan. He took that loss to heart, but was really proud of the Texas Fight!
I was also pretty heartbroken when my 4 year old daughter found out that Texas lost. I was extremely surprised at the emotion she felt about it. She started balling like I wanted to. I think it’s because she knows daddy loves Texas so much, but also because she feels a special bond with the team. How could she not with her older brother and father being such big fans. She kept saying that Texas isn’t supposed to lose and that she didn’t want to watch the rest of the replay. She’s right. She isn’t used to seeing Texas lose. In her lifetime Texas has a National Championship and 4 amazing years of Colt. When you’re not used to losing, you just don’t get used to it. Tomorrow I will be replaying the 2005 Rose Bowl for her and some youtube footage of Colt. She just wants to see them win right now.
I just want to be mad right now, but now I’m just a little numb. Thank you Texas for playing with the heart you did. Thank you Colt. Thank you GG. Thank you Mack Brown for being classy. Thank you Muschamp for being awesome. Thank you Texas for making us proud. Thank you BON for letting me vent.
-flo
by bleed burnt orange on Jan 8, 2010 4:30 PM CST reply actions
A quick question for anyone else who went to the game
Did your car also break down unexpectedly after the game, requiring a late-night tow after sitting through the Alabama victory?
No?
Just curious.
No but my sister’s car broke down here in Austin after the game in the 20 something degree weather if that counts.
by SpiritOfTheFedora on Jan 8, 2010 4:45 PM CST reply actions
An anology for last night's game that Cowboy fans might get
Given the unexpectedly later-than-expected night I enjoyed, as explained above, I am rather late joining the commenting party, and I fear most insight I could possibly provide would be redundant at best at this point. Most of what I feel has already been expressed many times over by many members of the BON community.
One thought I’ve had over the past few hours is how yesterday’s game reminds me a great deal, as a Cowboys fan, of the 1994 NFC Championship Game in San Francisco.
For those who don’t remember that game, the two-time defending Super Bowl champs went to Candlestick for their third straight championship game outing against the Niners. In a start of the game which was just about as much of a punch to the gut as Colt’s injury and the subsequent (albeit more or less understandable) first half offensive offensiveness, the Cowboys found themselves down 21-0 after just seven minutes of play.
At that point, it would not have been unexpected for the Cowboys to have rolled over and play dead — not just from “quitting” but from the psychological shock falling behind by three touchdowns to a team as talented as the Niners must have been. But that team did not quit and fought back as valiantly as one could possibly imagine for the rest of the afternoon. It’s a cliche, but that team displayed the “heart of a champion” that afternoon, and I still believe that had an incredibly obvious interference call been made against Deion (playing for the Niners that season) midway through the fourth, the Cowboys might have won. Nevertheless, it was easily the best game I’ve ever seen in which one team was winning by double digits for the last 55 minutes of the game. I left Candlestick that afternoon with my head held high, confident that the heart I had seen that afternoon in the face of unexpected adversity would pay off in another championship the following season. And it did.
I feel the same about this team and this group of players. The Horns could have rolled over and played dead last night after the injury and the heart-breaking interception at the end of the fist half. But they didn’t. The defense played as inspired as I have ever seen it play, knowing that, with enough stops, the offense mind find its sea legs. And the offense, though not anything close to a well-oiled machine, began to find its rhythm. Did anyone, deep in their hearts, thought that we would possibly have the ball with a chance to tie or win with three minutes to play? I know I wanted to believe that, but actually seeing it unfold in front of me was simultaneously one of the most shocking and inspiring things I have witnessed in my lifetime of being a Horns fan.
Just like 15 years earlier a few hundred miles to the north, I could leave the stadium with my head held high*, extraordinarily proud of the Horns and confident that the heart and determination we witnessed in the face of such unexpected and shocking adversity will pay off with another championship in the very near future.
And to explain the "*"
I actually was planning to leave with my head held high, but instead I left with a heart full of rage at what I deemed at the time to be an extraordinarily classless move by Saban to run up the score. I was firing bitter text messages left and right, and I perhaps shouted a few things inside the waning seconds of the game that I am not too terribly proud of. To anyone who heard my f-bombs or saw my extended middle finger, I apologize. That is very much unlike me. (Though I won’t apologize to the Bama fan who seemed offended by my “S-A-T” response to the “S-E-C” chant which briefly rang out throughout the stadium.)
In hindsight and being able to calm down after a few hours, I’m not sure I would still apply the “running up the score” label, but it still sure as hell seemed unnecessary. I’d wager a considerably sum of money that, had Bama taken a knee, we wouldn’t have used our time out. (Though had we, then all’s fair in love and war, as USC taught UCLA when Carroll’s offer of an olive branch was refused by Neuheisel.)
I am still in the anger stage—at coaches for both teams. I thought the coaches snatched defeat from the jaws of victory at the end. But I’ll get over it tonight with a couple of fresh turkey legs.
by SpiritOfTheFedora on Jan 8, 2010 5:12 PM CST up reply actions
…and Jerry Jones for supporting Alabama. It will take some of the sting out if the Cowboys lose Saturday.
by SpiritOfTheFedora on Jan 8, 2010 5:25 PM CST up reply actions
As a lifelong Cowboys fan
I don’t really agree with the analogy. Yes that NFCCG was a huge disappointment, and yes we missed the third superbowl, and fought hard, and all that other garbage – but there were several major differences:
1) The Cowboys were playing for their third Championship (of that era) which they ultimately got. The Colt-era of UT football will have no national championship at all.
2) The Cowboys were essentially favorites, or at least widely expected to win. The Longhorns were underdogs, who were in reality the better team, and never got the chance to prove themselves.
3) The Cowboys being down 21-0 was the result of turnovers, if I recall. The UT thing was a result of one play, very early in the game, which was essentially just very, very bad luck. Not the players’ faults, as was the Cowboy’s loss, just really bad luck. And just for one damn play. At the damn beginning of the game.
Although, yes, I felt like sh*t after that Cowboys loss, and I feel like sh*t now. So they are comparable as far as that goes.
I think it's a great analogy
I thought of exactly the same thing last night…
I was living in the Bay Area at the time, and took a lot of heat about the Cowboys. Had to go to a group I was in that night, and they all started in on me – “how ’bout your Cowboys now?” And I told them I’d never been prouder of them.
They might have been favorites, except that they were on the road, Emmitt had just hurt his hamstring the previous week, and they went into that game with not one, not two, but three injured OLinemen.
They promptly gave up several quick touchdowns on turnovers. The entire game Troy had to drop back and throw the ball on about a two count, I can still see Rickey Jackson motoring around a rookie Larry Allen (who was only in because Erik Williams had been hurt earlier) who was hobbling on one good leg. They had no running game without Emmitt, and no time without uninjured linemen. They had two hugely bad calls go against them – a phantom PI to bail out Jerry Rice, and the obvious PI Hopkins mentioned against Deion that went uncalled – and to add to that, Switzer ran out to protest and bumped the ref, so that instead of first and ten deep in Niner territory, it was third and forever from their own. All this stuff went against them… And they kept it close the entire game.
You add all those factors arrayed against them, especially in a road game, and you almost always see a complete blowout, but they fought and played their hearts out, and at least kept it close. And I truly was more proud of that team than almost any other they’ve had. And there’s part of me that has no doubt whatsoever that if both teams were to line up and play full-strength they’d win… but, of course, that’s not the way sports works. As we always say when we talk about playoffs, it’s not about finding or voting or arguing who’s the “best” team, it’s about someone winning – with all the circumstances and factors present at that time.
I feel pretty much the same way about these Horns, and truthfully, about last year’s team. I’m just immensely proud of them. These are two of my favorite Longhorn teams ever. Part of me feels that if we got to play everyone involved, and nobody had catastrophic injuries, we’d be repeat champions. But in the end, at least this time we got our chance to play, and we played with the cards we got dealt. Last year still feels worse because we didn’t even get the chance, although we clearly deserved it.
So… congratulations to Alabama. Maybe they caught a huge break, but they did not have that game handed to them – they went out and won it, and they are the deserving champions. I’d even feel pretty good for them if not for that last classless touchdown…
Well, we can agree on one thing...
Big game tomorrow for the Boys (Saturday). A win against the Eagles would help my spirits a lot!
And to think . . .
. . . after this past Sunday, we Horn/Boys fans were all of a sudden looking at a shot of a daily double over the next month. Oh well . . .
"Texas played without its best player for nearly 56 minutes. There's an asterisk." -- Ivan Maisel, ESPN.com
"What if . . . ?"
Yes, this will go down as one of the true heartbreakers for a Longhorn / Cowboys fan.
Both Cowboys Super Bowl losses to the Steelers, the last one with the better team, I felt.
Both NFC Championship losses to the ‘Niners, both of which they were the better team in.
Longhorns Cotton Bowls of ’77 & ’83, the last of which came on a dropped punt by a substitute punt returner who was one of the best players on a great D. The Chris Sims / Major Applewhite Big XII Championship where Major almost willed them to victory. The 14-3 ou loss that still haunts me. Other than the Vince ’05 team, that was Texas’ best in the past decade.
And this one is gonna hurt for a long time. I cared more to have Colt win the NC rather than how badly I wanted it for myself. This is tough because of how much Hornfans appreciate him. The best NCAA QB overall of the past 4 years (sorry Tebow), the rightful Heisman winner from ’08, and the best teams for the past 2 years that got screwed (last year) and got their heart ripped out (this year). Rough times.
However, expect Garrett & the Horns to roll to atleast 2 national championships over the next 3 years. It’s gonna happen!
i really dont get what people are upset about
i know we lost..
but GG was simply amazing. it took the recivers a little bit of time to work it out, but GG to goodwin next year is going to be scary as hell..
our wr class next year looks loaded. goodwin, darius white, williams with a little bit of help..
the shovel pass wasnt a bad call at all… if whoever happened to lose it caught it and just took off it would have been a first and put us in range of a feild goal… + 3 instead of -7. that play was a game changer but it wasnt a bad call just didnt quite execute on that play.
leave the offensive line alone. i think they did pretty good for most of the night, and their only really terrible game was nebraska cause of a half man half beast named suh.. the sack at the end of the game was bound to happen at some point or another..
the officiating sucked… i dont know what to say. just leave it alone. you never win that one.
our defense put us in position to win. holding ’bama to 300 is impressive. and when we got the ball back with 3:21 left on the clock i really though we had a shot at putting the game away. against the officially best team in the country.
all in all the horns had some shitty luck. we made it a good game. i wore burnt orange today, cause horns have reason to be proud after that game yesterday.
To reiterate from my post above
i really dont get what people are upset about
1) No NC for Colt.
2) Being the underdog, although we had the better team, but losing anyway because of one horrifically unlucky event early in the game.
3) Have to listen to SEC idiots (including the national media) for yet another year.
I’m with you though on the other stuff. I don’t really care about the officiating or the shovel pass. That’s all just icing on the giant turd cake. And of course I’m proud of my team, I’ll always be a Horn fan… just p*ssed off about the result.
Ditto that we have every reason to hold heads up
Our WRs also had chances to make plays. Chiles stopping on his route, the shovel pass interception, several missed 1st downs. GG and the team next year should be awesome the more reps they get under their belts. I will miss Colt, but Hello Garret Gilbert.
by Wrangler86 on Jan 8, 2010 9:22 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
looks like Carroll is headed to the Seahawks
isn’t USC on Jeffcoat’s list of final choices?
by 7Swords of Salat on Jan 8, 2010 9:16 PM CST up reply actions
When Colt went out
I couldn’t help but think of the last time a Texas quarterback was hurt at the Rose Bowl and replaced by a freshman. And how impressed I was with game that freshman played despite being in an overwhelming situation.
In 1998, when Richard Walton broke his hand and Major Applewhite took over I knew Texas was going to be in very capable hands at quarterback. And as most of you have said already, I have that same feeling after last night.
Lots to be proud of...
I’ve been thinking about little else since I left the Rosebowl last night. A friend asked me if I was upset that I had paid for the tickets and gone to the game. I told him that with 3 minutes left in the 4th quarter we had the ball and a chance not only to win the championship, but to do it in a truly historic fashion that would become one of the great moments in all of sports – of course I was happy to be there.
There’s a lot to be unhappy about, whether it’s the second straight year of Colt getting screwed of out playing in a national championship game he had every right to, ’Bama classlessly running up the score when they should have taken a knee, or just how close we came to winning.
And there’s a lot to be happy about. We proved to everyone that we belonged in that game and that we had a VERY good chance to win it with McCoy at the helm. Gilbert looked excellent at times – and I don’t begrudge him his rookie mistakes. Our guys were well coached and well prepared – ready to win the national championship for us. We had obvious talent on the field and I think we lost absolutely nothing in terms of the respect we command as a great team on the big stage.
But I think what’s really stinging me at this point are the coaching mistakes. The 2nd quarter shovel pass, the empty set, the short-term commitment to the run, the clock bumbling in the nebraska game… the clock bumbling in the texas tech game last year… those hurt because they’re so unnecessary and so costly.
What killed me last night was the play calling with Gilbert. I understood the amount of running we did early on. But it seemed as though the empty set was just a bad idea. I don’t particularly like the empty set with McCoy in the backfield, but with Gilbert play-action seemed like such an obvious call that I was furious during the game that it wasn’t getting called. It seemed like we were more interested in turning Gilbert into McCoy than coming up with a solid scheme for him to run. A good mix of run and play action seemed like the obvious choice in that situation.
Unlike many here (and at the game), I won’t call for Greg Davis to get the boot. Maybe Davis is as good as we can do. Our offense typically puts up big numbers and I have to think Davis brings a lot to the table. Perhaps we just have to deal with his flaws. Perfection can be the enemy of good, and in a time when we seem to be competing at an extremely high level year after year, I wouldn’t want to lose everything because we were trying for perfection.
So I’m left here lamenting that our coaching staff isn’t perfect, and lamenting the bad luck that seems to have followed McCoy’s offseason plans. I hope he finds success in the NFL, because his college career has been a bit unfair to him. He was good to us though – and I feel lucky to have had him throwing for the ‘horns for so long. He came back to Austin this year when he probably shouldn’t have, and this was supposed to be his reward.
Thanks for the memories Colt. You’ll always been a star in Austin.
What I hate to see...
is an asterik be the defining thing about Colt. “What if he had been healthy, what would have happened?”, etc.
The not have the NC or the Heisman keeps him off of the top pedestal that I think he deserves in Longhorns lore, but I believe despite the injury, his career puts him deservedly right behind Vince and somewhere amongst Ricky & Earl, which isn’t bad company to keep.
I wish him all the success in life & Gilbert some short-term memory because Spring Practice is around the bend.
Just remember to keep the faith until next season because there is a reason why you don’t see Texas Longhorns’ memorabilia on the clearance rack like the rest of the Big 12 teams AND that’s because we believe!
Hook ’em!
"I've never gone into a game trying to win the Heisman Trophy; I go into a game trying to win." - Colt McCoy
I know that if I were Gilbert
This little sour taste would make me want to start Spring drills right now. I would be out there Monday morning with the returning recievers working on hitting double moves and quick slants all wearing Jerseys with ’10 on them.
He really showed signs of greatness last night. Even with all the bad luck that happened, if a couple of recievers hold on to a couple of throws, GG comes back to Austin a legend. It was that close until garbage time. Just awesome.
Hook’em 2010!
"A lot of people look for the easy way to do anything, in swimming there is no easy way." - Eddie Reese
i was flat out impressed by how well he recovered after halftime.
not to mention completely terrified at more than a few points.
i don’t know about his skills as a quarterback but in terms of determination, conviction and, eventually, leadership… it’s clear you guys got yourselves a winner on your hands.
Roll 'Bama Roll: The Champagne of 'Bama Blogs.
Thanks Kleph
Your visits and contributions here have been great. Congratulations on a well-deserved NC, hope to see you guys in that game again very soon and afterwards penning a post titled ’The Interesting Case of Garrett Gilbert."
Gilbert has a rocket arm, I wasn’t sure about his mental makeup until Thursday. All doubts erased.
by SpiritOfTheFedora on Jan 9, 2010 11:51 AM CST up reply actions
The day will come, for those who doubt TEXAS!!
The one thing to remind ourselves is that Colt did not play, b/c he was injured. However, the team took a chance and regrouped, made sure they were in the game mentally. I agree that there were mistakes, bad calls, plays that were not made. However they took on the challenge and played their hearts out. I for one am proud of GG. I can’t imagine being put in that type of situation, he was nervous, scared out of his mind. Then again this wasn’t a weekly game, this was the big one, the BCS game. The one game that really matters in College Football.
GG. and the team came back and played, and never once did they stop playing. I am sure Alabama was scared as well, b/c when the score was 24-21. They thought, their going to come back and take this from us. They almost did, and that to me says TEXAS has a team of giants, that can prevail win or lose. I am proud to have these group of men represent the state of Texas. They went into battle and still came out victorious. Another thing to remember… WE are still #2 in the polls, no other team other than Alabama has had the BCS bowl game experience. GG has that now under his belt, he can learn from what mistakes were made. I can guarantee that when we are there next year BCS in 2011. If I were on the opposite team to compete against TEXAS, I’d be scared b/c it’s going to happen, I have faith. WE all bleed orange and WE are loyal, b/c TEXAS IS OUR TEXAS! See ya in 2011, we will prevail!
Thank you
Horns fans, I wanted to thank you and your team for an incredible game. I have always had respect for Texas, and last night’s hard fought game only made that respect grow. I hope the best for Colt, because he is as fine an athlete as I have ever seen, and I look forward to seeing him doing great things at the next level. Even though it might not seem right for my fellow Bama fans, but I hoped and prayed he could get back in there and show us what he could do against our D.
Gilbert is going to be a fine star in the Lone Star State, as he showed it last night in the biggest spotlight he could have thrust on him. I’ll admit, even having the Horns pinned back at the 5, I had a sick feeling in my gut that we weren’t going to be able to stop him.
I’m glad we won, but I’m proud as hell we got to play the best for it. Hook ‘em Horns and Roll Tide. Look forward to seeing what y’all can do next year.
Thanks for the post
A lot of Bama guys are pure class. I know it gets heated on these boards (and I contribute to the problem) but it’s always nice to see a classy winning team.
BigBamaDaddy...You sir...
Are as fine a representation of southern manners and graciousness as anyone could ask for. Best wishes to you and your team in 2010 and thanks again for the kind experession of your sentiments on the game.
Play like you mean it...
Thanks
Thanks for 4 amazing years Colt I loved every snap. All good things come to an end whether good or screeching halt train wreck bad. Win, lose or draw… Hook em!
Burnt Orange Nation
Hello to all the Texas fans that hang out here! I’m from Alabama and a Bama fan but I’ve been browsing BurntOrangeNation.com for the weeks leading up to the game. I’m impressed by a lot of things. The people on here almost universally have good manners and their comments are well thought out and well stated. Further, everybody here seems to have an excellent understanding of college football. And everybody here thought the Longhorns had a good chance to win the game. So did a lot of Bama fans. And no one, regardless of which team they supported, doubted that the Longhorns had one heck of a team. You couldn’t help but respect Colt McCoy as a person and as a phenomenal athlete. Mack Brown and his staff know how to win and they will be doing it again next season. Both Bama and Texas will be in the hunt again next season and it wouldn’t surprise me to see us right back here talking about the outcome of the BCS game a year from now. But mainly I wanted to say that I have been so pleasantly surprised at the caliber of people that call themselves Burnt Orange Nation. And as hard it is to lose a big one last night you can still hold your heads up. McCoy has left his legacy but Gilbert will mature and fill the gap and do it quickly. So I’m not going to shed too many tears for the Burnt Orange Nation – Instead I’m going to go ahead and start dreading it if Bama to play you guys again next year!!!
Hook’em Horns and Roll Tide!
Thanks Longhorns
As a Big 10 Fan I want to thank the Longhorn nation for playing a great game against Alabama. The Horns could have rolled over at the half down 24-6 but they showed more grit than any team I watched this year. Gilbert could have quit but showed tremendous heart and poise in the second half. The Horn nation has a lot to be proud of and I think they are one of the classiest universities in college football.
by JT from Big 10 nation on Jan 8, 2010 8:38 PM CST reply actions
Thanks!
"If you think you can be stopped, this isn't the place for you."
by austintexasbaby on Jan 9, 2010 9:19 AM CST up reply actions
I was there
First off, let me say that when The Colt came off the field, the whole Texas side felt like we got kicked in the stomach. Greg Davis predictably went to his run-run-pass-punt shell for two plus quarters. The fans were riled.
I haven’t watched a replay of any of the game’s plays because it’s too fresh. At first I thought that the blitzer was the QB’s responsibility and he should have had a hot read. That said, it was his blindside in which case, it was the line’s responsibility. I had to wonder about the use of the empty set there. Could we not have kept a back in to help protect? We had much better success that way and inside your own 10, it would make sense to beef up the protection. It seemed like just the last in a series of unnecessary risks taken by the coachiing staff.
I was initially irked that Alabama scored again but they did get the ball deep in our territory and did simply run the ball. I thought they could have kneeled on it but we did have some time outs left. I’ve gotten over it. Alabama deserved to win that game. They made the plays. You can’t turn the ball over and commit penalties expecting to win. Saban doesn’t have a track record of running up scores and if it really bothered us so much we could have stopped them.
I was disappointed because my son (11 years old) and I went to the game from CT. It was his first ever Longhorn game and we wanted to see Colt for the first time live.
In the end, however, the Bama fans were mostly classy. Sure, there was a drunken knucklehead here or there but they were mostly courteous especially after Colt went out. They were really nervous when we pulled to within three and on every specials play. They were far more courteous than any USC fan was four years ago (and they lost).
The Longhorns made us proud last night. They fought so that those words in all of the fight songs AREN’T meaningless. They fought for the same pride that you and I feel.
I don't know if you read other posts but GD did that on purpose early on in the game
in order to integrate the game plan to GG.
As someone mentioned before, the playcalling in the first quarter significantly differs from the 4th quarter. It is highly unlikely that the coaches will ask GG to do reading the coverage, checking receivers, pass protection when he just entered the game wide-eyed.
GD did that do bring GG to the game speed by slowing things down and giving him some confidence (minus the shovel pas play)
COACH BOOM BABY!!
of course
I’ve never been a fan of Greg Davis’ playcalling. I would just elaborate that the fans were an angry mob last night when it came to the predictability. If you have a line that’s struggling and a QB that’s green….unpredictability will help them. You don’t need two quarters’ worth of “getting up to speed”.
Your points about playcalling are fair.
ESPNNews
According to report from ESPNnews i just saw Colt is doing much better and trainers are saying they held him out as a precaution??
by Dawnpatrol on Jan 8, 2010 9:02 PM CST via mobile reply actions
seems like Brachial Plexus injury...which improves with time
but I heard he wasnt fit to play (cant throw over 7 yds) in yahoo article
COACH BOOM BABY!!
Congrats to Bama, and Horns should be proud
I watched the game in the heart of SEC country. They were all freaking out into 4th quarter Texas and GG should be very proud given the early game events. My heart is broken that we and Colt didn’t get to play our final game as expected. I can’t wait to see him on Sunday. It just doesn’t seem like the NC game happened without watching him
Nama and SEC fans have all taken notice of GG and Texas earned a lot of respect. I’m proudly wearing my colors and so many folks have acknowledged that there victory is bitter sweet not having played Colt….but they won and I do congratulate them. To our Texas team…. Thanx for the great ride this year!!! You are the best IMO!
by Wrangler86 on Jan 8, 2010 9:15 PM CST via mobile reply actions
i would like to say "thanks" to all of BON staff and commenters
for working together with us over at RBR the last several weeks. the posts here leading up to the game as well as the commentary that followed from them we’re superb and served to actually increase the enjoyment of the event. tempers certainly flared on both sides on occasion but none to a degree to impede the overall sense of goodwill.
i daresay none of us wanted to see the contest unfold in the particular manner it did. for now, feelings are still raw and it’s probably best to wait and examine in detail what occurred on the field last night and what it portends for all those involved.
but one thing remains very clear, the commitment, dedication and sportsmanship of the longhorns are an example for the entire sport. it was an honor to have been able to see our team face such a exemplary foe regardless of the outcome.
so let’s do this again some time… like in another twenty years or so.
Roll 'Bama Roll: The Champagne of 'Bama Blogs.
Thanks to y'all too. You stay classy, Bama.
"If you think you can be stopped, this isn't the place for you."
by austintexasbaby on Jan 9, 2010 9:22 AM CST up reply actions
Some doctor calling his injury Brachial Plexus Stretch...basically a terrible case of "stinger" or severe numbness of his arm
which interferes with proper function of your upper extremity…
Heres the kicker: theres no real treatment and the symptoms improve with time….
sigh
COACH BOOM BABY!!
Next Year
Colt McCoy was a great player and will never be forgotten!
On the other hand, Mr.Garrett Gilbert can play some football
we return 10 starters on O and 8 on defense
Im thinkin we can keep on rollin
HOOKEM BABY
"The title is comin back to Texas, all the way to AUSTINNNN TEXASSS BABYYYY!"
Well actually
We return 6 starters on Offense and 7 on Defense.
Colt at QB, Ship at WR, Uli, Hall, and Tanner are gone on the OL. Snow can play better than Hall, and I feel Allen can play better than Tanner so we’re fine on the interior of the line. Hix should move over to the LT spot and Mason Walters should move over to the RT. We also have Britt Mitchell, Luke Poehlman, Paden Kelley and a plethora of others on the O-Line. Our O-Line should be just fine, if not better than this year.
On Defense, we lose Kindle and Houston on the line as starters and Alexander as a backup. Eddie Jones and Sam Acho will be studs on the line with Okafor and Wilson as the backups. Randall and Howell will project to be the starters with Johnson, Higgins, Bible and Dorsey as backups at DT. We’re going to have a damn good D-Line in 2010 as we always do.
At LB we’re going to be just outstanding. Muckelroy will be a huge loss, but Jared Norton will be back to take over alongside Robinson and E. Acho. Benson, Earnest, Hicks (maybe) Jackson will be backups. Huge amount of depth here unlike this year.
At DB, the loss of Earl Thomas is big, but we certainly have the people to fill those shoes. Brown and Brown, AJ Williams, Gideon, Scott, Brewster will start in rotations. There is an abundance of underclassmen who will provide depth as well.
We’re going to be fine.
Get off your knees Greg, you're blowin' the game.
I agree
with you on the assessment of the offense, but I am not so sure on defense. I think there is a possibility (although slim) of Eddie Jones and Sam Acho entering draft due to possible uncapped season of 2010.
Also, the idea of starting gideon and Brewster on the field at the same time scares the hell out of me. I am hoping Vaccaro and Ben Wells (maybe Barnett) along with a incoming freshman will step up big time. I personally think some of the running backs should toy with the idea of switching to the defensive side of the ball like Jeremy Hills
COACH BOOM BABY!!
Gideon
has a nose for the football if its in the air. He hits hard and has great speed. His coverage skills have improved from last year very much. He lacks form in tackling and taking correct angles against the run but that can be coached. His 6 picks on the year are great and if he has a good offseason, I easily see him starting.
I doubt we lose any others to the draft just yet. Well…change “doubt” to “pray”
Get off your knees Greg, you're blowin' the game.
I definitely give credit to Gideon. He worked hard in the offseason and during the season
to put doubters to rest. And I believe he was successful in doing so.
However, at times, I feel (and I am not the only one) that he doesnt have the speed or instinct to be a consistent playmaker on the defensive side of the ball. I hate to bring this up but he should have not given up the long run to Richardson.
Gideon will always be an overachiever and its a good feel story, however his “nose” for the football in the air and knowledge of the game should not get in the way of younger, more talented players from playing.
Also, we are losing Hunter Lawrence and Bailey as well…..I believe that will be somewhat significant. Especially if next year’s offense are unable to generate whole lot of touchdowns. I am having tolerating/hating relationship w/ Tucker at this moment….
COACH BOOM BABY!!
Agreed
We’re going to have to wait and see if anyone can take his spot. I remember in 2005 when we lost Mangum. All we had left in the cupboard was Pino who played poorly the first few games. That season was on a crash course to disas….wait….whoops. Nevermind.
Get off your knees Greg, you're blowin' the game.
Isn't there a small chance Muck stays?
Medical redshirt or something?
Other Receiving Votes: Oklahoma
by pleaseplaykindle on Jan 9, 2010 11:33 AM CST up reply actions
I've heard stories about that
i’m not sure. it would be amazing, but I think he goes nonetheless.
Get off your knees Greg, you're blowin' the game.
No Offense to Bama Fans But...
I feel like someone very close was murdered and while I’m at the wake, the “Persons of Interest” show up at the funeral. I’m in a state of mourning and only want to recover and regroup with my fellow Orangebloods. As I’m reading through a thread, my soul eats up every word from every comment: the anger, or the disappointment, or the hope, or the ways in which we Orangebloods try and comfort each other. Then out of the blue, a subject line will go something like this: “Bama fan here” and I want to cover my eyes and shake my head and say “Please, I want to be alone!”.
To be honest, most of the Bama fans have been pretty darn cool and by no means do I want debase their well-meaning intentions. It’s just that, OK, you beat us, congratulations. Have a great off-season, take care, see ya next time, b-bye. Am I just too sensitive?
Believe me, I love discourse and normally threads that are salt-and-peppered with rival posts are fun. But for at least a week, I need time to mourn. Then I’ll start the forensics process.
"All the white meat is gone. There's nothin' but necks on the platter." Darrell K. Royal
Amen Brother. Amen..
As I drove out of the golf course outside of the Rose Bowl Thursday night, my emotion was one of resolute pride at the way our team rallied all-game as best they could against impossible odds after that death blow to the offense.
As I drove to the airport the next morning headed back to Dallas, reading the BON posts on my BlackBerry (at least those that echoed my sense of pride in this team), I was brought to the verge of tears (tears of pride, mind you, not of sadness) probably five times between the hotel and the airport.
Last night, as I encountered several random Texas fans in a Dallas suburb at dinner (I was wearing my BCS cap, so they initiated the conversation), everyone’s comments conveyed a universal sense of injustice – that something core to their being was left interrupted…incomplete…undone. The Burnt Orange Nation needs time to mourn. Give it a couple of weeks, then it will be time to re-set, re-group, and throw all our hopes and dreams into 2010.
"Please God, Send us a Stable of Running Backs!"
Yes Offense to bama fans
We have been more than accommodating to the Bama fans and gave them the credit that was due. It was a hard-fought victory and they are the ultimate winners. Congratulations Bama (once again) I also acknowledge that there are many classy Bama fans who offered condolence and did not particularly like the turn of the events 5 min into the game
However, going to losing team’s blog and celebrating/bragging are just uncalled for. Losing teams are forbidden to speculate, mourn, and fantasize about what if/could have been??
Our team played hard and competed to the level we expected w/o their star/Heisman runner up/4-yr starter QB.
Had the situation been different or switched, Bama fans would feel the same way. Every game has a winner and a loser, we just happened/played to be on the losing side on Thursday.
COACH BOOM BABY!!
Cowboys in 1994
As I recall in that game with SF in 1994, those first half turn overs were largely the fault of either the Cowboy’s right side tackle or tight end. He was the back up and was only playing because the Cowboy’s all everything tight end had got drunk and crashed his car the week before. It was not long after that that I became just a closet Cowboy fan.
From a Tech ex...
I was certainly rooting for you guys…only the third time in my life I rooted for Texas…the first was the Cotton Bowl against Georgia.(over time that might be as hard to stomach as this years game-I attended that one). The only other time I pulled for the horns was the USC game a few years ago…I grew up in an OU household and went to Tech…but I gotta tell you when that game was over and the sideline reporter interviewed Colt McCoy I was on the edge of my seat. What a freaking stud…I have never in my life heard such grace under pressure…what a fine young man and one the horns should be proud of for generations to come. He can run my company (if I had one) anytime. Now I gotta get back to Double T Nation. We have our own problems to deal with. Did you guys hear we fired Leach and hired Tubberville. I would understand if you weren’t paying attention…If the Raiders were in the Champ. game I probably would be laser focused on my boys too….good luck in 2010…how tall is that freshman qb…jeez
Thanks double TT
Thanks for the kind words. I’ve been keeping up with the current events @ Tech and want to say congrats on the new coach. What I found interesting was the pulse of the people on Twitter about the hire. A lot of people are not enthused, to say the least, of Tuberville. They say it’s a huge step backward and I’m sure a lot of Tech fans secretly feel that way. What I’ve been waiting for is the fallout of not hiring Ruff. I would think the Black Coaches Association would be a little curious about the decision. Ruff has been with the program for a long time and seemingly a team favorite. I thought he was the clear choice. What say you?
"All the white meat is gone. There's nothin' but necks on the platter." Darrell K. Royal
had to make a splash hire...
given the events of the past week…Double T Nation pulse seems to be as long as he doesn’t change the offensive scheme which has defined us over the past decade and somehow keep Ruff and Lincoln Riley on board then we can salvage our good recruiting class…we’ll see…Tub is more of a CEO type who can press the flesh with the wigs etc. sort of like Mack. Quite honestly the fact that Ruff was black had not even crossed my mind…I would not say he was the clear choice…while an excellent recruiter and fav with the players many felt that hugs for everyone is maybe not the best policy for a D-1 HC…no disrespect for Ruff, though. He handled the Alamo Bowl duties like a pro…maybe pro is where he ends up?
Good comments. Thanks!
"All the white meat is gone. There's nothin' but necks on the platter." Darrell K. Royal
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