Burnt Orange Nation: FanPosts

Let's talk about someone else's problems....

2009-11-10T23:26:10Z

Biggest problem I have with this season so far... is that we've got so much going right for us, it's hard to find what to talk about. Queue another GD bashing session in 3... 2... 1...

Well, we're not the only team with woes. Our counterparts over in the SEC have troubles of their own, and they're not too far removed from ours.

From an article on the Palm Beach Post regarding Florida Gators lack of offensive production:

Meyer said factors holding the Gators back include:

* The transition from Dan Mullen to Steve Addazio at offensive coordinator - plus introducing two other new coaches on the offensive staff - has not been as smooth as expected.

* Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy, who are playing in the NFL, have been difficult to replace.

* The losses of both starting tackles, Jason Watkins and Phil Trautwein, were underestimated.

* Opposing defenses are using formations and alignments UF has never seen

Florida is down to 6.6 yards / play, down from 7.1 last year... 10% down.

They're scoring 35 points per game, instead of 43.6... 20% down

In conference, their scoring is even more down... They're producing at 65% of the points that they did last year.

They're allowing on average, 1 more tackle for a loss per game and 1 more sack per game.

Who's having more trouble with their offense this season, Florida or Texas?

Poll

Which offense has taken the biggest step backwards?

I sure hope OU doesn't lose another game...

2009-11-10T21:06:29Z

Do you know what year was the last time OU lost 4 games in a football season? Wait for it...wait for it...wait...for...it...that's right...2005! What happened that year is about as obvious as the backstory on the connection between Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley. Anyway, we just had the ESPNU college press conferences on at my work (FOX Sports at Bush airport if you ever fly thru) and Bob Stoops was on. They flashed up the last 5 years of OU football records & a moment of clarity struck me! Forget 2012...all the signs point towards 2009! :)

Hook 'em!

Blog Poll Submission Week 10 vs. 6th Grade Top 25

2009-11-10T18:16:37Z

Bumped for amazing. I spiffed up the presentation a little bit, but the data belongs to mattyj. -HB

I teach 6th grade and have a class of boys who are obsessed with sports, especially football. In order to get them to talk less and learn more I told my class that on Mondays they could submit top 25 ballots and I would tally them up for a class poll. 13 students submitted ballots, and their biases and ignorances show big time (See: aggie and Purdue with 1st place votes). It all makes about as much sense as the Sagarin ratings. So, without further adieu, for your entertainment pleasure, our 6th grade class Top 25. Enjoy.

Follow through the jump to compare this poll with the "experts" including yours truly. -HB

This is just awesome. For comparison, here are the links to the coaches, Harris, and AP polls. -HB

Here's my Blog Poll submission for this week as well:

Rank	Team	Delta

1	Florida
2	Alabama	1
3	Texas	1
4	TCU
5	Cincinnati
6	Georgia Tech	3
7	Boise State	1
8	Pittsburgh	4
9	Iowa	3
10	Miami (Florida)	4
11	Oregon	4
12	Houston	1
13	LSU	2
14	Southern Cal	1
15	Ohio State	2
16	Oklahoma State
17	Penn State	7
18	Arizona
19	Utah	2
20	South Florida	3
21	Wisconsin	3
22	Virginia Tech	3
23	Brigham Young
24	Oregon State
25	Nebraska
Last week's ballot

Dropped Out: Notre Dame (#19), Oklahoma (#20), California (#22).

Discuss...

What a difference a year makes for the Longhorns!

2009-11-10T16:28:26Z

This time last year, give or take a few days, Longhorns fans were scratching their heads after losing on a last-second TD to the Texas Tech Red Raiders closing out an improbable 3-1 mark against Top 15 opponents in four-straight weeks. Scratching turned to praying as all we could do is hope that OU might be able to beat Tech and then somehow allow us to go to the Big 12 title game & then on to the BCS Title game. Of course, we know how all of that ended…

Now, we are on top of the world (or at least in our hearts & minds) while the world itself has us #3. We are unbeaten, having vanquished all that have come before us in this 2009 campaign - The once formidable OU football team now resembles a beaten stepchild sitting in the corner sucking it’s thumb praying for the nightmares to end; Mizzou and Tech wish they had their 2008 quarterbacks and receivers to return them to a happier time & place; Oklahoma State is still Oklahoma State showing so much promise & potential on paper, yet still getting fitted for their burger place employee uniform at season’s end; and the Big 12 North representative spot for the conference championship game is more undecided than Brett Favre’s 2010 football season.

Critics point to our weak schedule and how the promise of Big 12 dominance in 2009 has not come true. However, 2008 taught us that it really doesn’t matter how many rank teams you beat, it just matters that you finish perfect. And so far, Coach Brown is staying true to plan. While Colt isn’t the Colt of last year, he is leading a team that is just as good if not better on defense than on offense. The reality is that if we remain perfect, our opponent will be Florida or Alabama, both of which command respect from an opponent’s defense more so than a willingness to turn into a Conference USA shoot-out.

Sorry Boise State, TCU, and Cincy, the ultimate perfection in 2009 belongs to Texas and it’s fans! Come this Thanksgiving, Longhorns' fans may finally have something in the past four years to be thankful for!

Hook 'em!

Great ticket deal for Basketball this weekend.

2009-11-10T01:28:15Z

From Ut Athletic Department

MEN'S AND WOMEN'S BASKETBALL 2009-10 seasons kick off this weekend at Erwin Center Coach Gail Goestenkors and No. 12 Women's Basketball open their season against UT-San Antonio this Friday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. The Texas Women's Basketball coaching staff invites you to join them for TEXAS TWO STEP by wearing your denim and cowboy boots to the game!

Coach Rick Barnes and No. 3 Men's Basketball tip off on Sunday against UC Irvine in the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic Regional Round at 1 p.m. Central. Opening game Bundle Packs: Men's Basketball $7 / Women's Basketball $6 Both Men's and Women's Basketball bundle packs include one ticket, free small popcorn and a coupon for discounted merchandise at the arena.

To order your bundle pack, call 512-232-3865. Bundle packs are advance sale only and based on availability.

Notes from Mack Brown's Monday Press Conference

2009-11-09T18:13:46Z

I listented to the press conference this morning and there were some good tidbits:

On the injury front, Aaron Williams will be returning this week. And Muckelroy briefly left the game with a stinger, but is fine and will play this week. Other than that.....no new injuries.

James Kirkendoll will replace Goodwin at the other WR starting spot

Cody Johnson is officially the starter at running back this week (He was co-starter last week, but Fozzy started the game). Mack mentioned that Newton will finally get some touches this week, which will cut into Fozzy's recent workload.

The Big 12 and networks have claimed the 6 day wait on announcing the Kansas-Texas kickoff.......which will now be determined next Sunday or Monday. Seems as though the likely times will be 2:30 or 6:00.........outside shot at 7:00.

Update from Statesman:

The Texas Longhorns’ game against Kansas on Nov. 21 has been scheduled for either 2:30 p.m. or 7 p.m. on ABC.

If the Longhorns beat Baylor on Saturday, quarterback Colt McCoy will be trying to set the NCAA record for wins.

The Purists vs. Objectivity

2009-11-09T18:05:53Z

I have thought about this long and hard. Because I get it. I get how important the regular season is in college football. For nowhere else would I have been glued to the TV watching, practically begging, Indiana to hold on to that lead in the 4th quarter against the vastly overrated Iowa Hawkeyes two Saturdays ago. Certainly they cannot hold a candle to Texas, Florida, or Alabama. Or can they? We will never know. And that is a shame. It has been predetermined that the Longhorns are more worthy this season. Sucks to be you Hawkeye fan. Smacking Penn State annually is not enough to earn the respect of the pollsters. It seems that pedigree plays a major role here with the BCS, and it is this pedigree which will also preclude TCU, Cincinnati, and Boise State from the championship game. I would be willing to wager that a one loss SEC team would jump an unbeaten Cincy or TCU. And this is everything that is wrong with college football.

The fact of the matter is all of the unbeatens deserve a shot if they are good enough to get into the top 8 BCS rankings. Why include them at all if you are going to glass ceiling them? Boise deserves a shot. TCU deserves a shot. Cincy deserves a shot. But the purists do not want to give them their shots at glory for fear of Boise vs. Cincy as the national title game (those kids do not count...those aren't real schools). They will not want to point to the fact that USC or FL or Texas or Bama or OUsux lost to these programs. No, the purists would rather point to weak conferences and lack of pedigree as undeserving credentials to certain young men of college football’s pinnacle. How smug of them. As an example, one receiver from the Dallas Cowboys went to a big time program and one went to Monmouth. One is the go to receiver, the other has under performed. One is Miles Austin, the other is Roy Williams. Go scan NFL rosters...it is mind boggling how many top tier players went to bottom tier schools. Shocking actually.

Back to the point at hand, the BCS was designed to pit #1 vs #2 for a winner-take-all conclusion to the college football season. Yet, it has failed miserably in many seasons to determine just who in the hell are the two best and most deserving teams for all of college football's glory. No need to rehash the shortcomings of which program got the nod over the other in spite of mountains of evidence to the contrary. This is just how the BCS works or should I say, fails.

Yes, we must preserve the regular season at any cost. That cost is increasingly becoming objective conclusions to the college football season.

K-State or Neb - who do you want?

2009-11-09T15:57:32Z

At this point it looks like Nebraska or K-State will win the North. Who do you want Texas to play and why?

Initially I had some concern if Texas were to play Nebraska (because of their defense). I think the Husker D-line is scary and could cause a lot of problems for the Texas O-line and offense (esp. since our run game is average at best).

But then I started reviewing the OU stats against Nebraska:

- OU had 23 first downs (Neb had 7)

- Total yards 325 OU (245 passing), 180 Neb (39 passing)

- OU 80 yds rushing (2.9 per attempt), Neb 141 (3.3 per att)

- OU 9 penalties for 64 yards, 5 turnovers (all INT's), Neb 11 penalties for 104 yds, 1 TO

Obviously the killer for OU was the 5 TO's - the biggest TO being the int thrown deep in OU territory and Neb only had to go 3-5 yards or whatever it was. OU had no problem throwing the ball (unless you count the INT's).

Texas' defense could handle the Nebraska offense much like OU did (or maybe even better than OU). I don't think the Neb defense could handle Colt and the passing game.

Now the ineptitude of GD is what scares me - especially if the game is tight and Texas isn't able to capitalize. K-State causes some concern just because they (and Bill Snyder) seem to thrive in this type of atmosphere. I like the chance for Colt and the team to get some redemption for the past two meetings.

So who do you want to play and why?

Poll

Who do you want Texas to play in the Big 12 CG

Throwback jerseys for A&M game

2009-11-09T07:40:40Z

Was anyone else aware that we're wearing throwback jerseys against A&M as part of a NIke "rivalries uniforms" program? Apparently, nine other schools will be wearing throwback and/or new jerseys later this month. It was apparently supposed to be a bit more hush-hush, but FSU's official site unveiled their new uniforms over the weekend. Ohio State also announced that the Buckeyes will wear throwbacks against Michigan.

Per links here, here, and here. I don't see any official confirmation from the UT athletic department.

The uniforms (link here) don't look too much different than the throwbacks we wore to open the season a few years back.

Defense performance vs. non-conference

2009-11-08T19:54:26Z

It is sort of interesting to look at how many points we gave up to our non-conference opponents in sequence:

20, 10, 7, 3 - almost a perfect mathematical improvement each week by reducing scoring by 50%. That is the power of the 'Champ and his adjustments (or the pure randomw coincedence). I chose to believe in the overall improvement of the team. Additionally, in reality the defense only gave up 3 to wyoming and 0 to utep.

So, really no point to be proven here, hust interesting.

Let's take down baylor!

The Almost Perfect Day of College Football

2009-11-08T18:09:38Z

Almost because LSU got jobbed out of a win vs. Bama. Seriously though, I cannot remember any better day than this in recent memory for football. Horns win, Ags lose, etc. Let me go over just a few of the good games that played out yesterday:

Purdue over Mich 38 to 36 - LMAO at Rich Rod, dude deserves it.

Texas over UCF 35 to 7 - Record setting day for the Horns

Northwestern over Iowa 17 to 10 - Was bound to happen to the Hawkeyes. Glad they got exposed. Now everyone can calm themselves and all the media attention can once again focus on the impending Bama- UF matchup in the SEC title game (sorry, but that is all you are going to hear about this week).

K State over KU 17 to 10 - Again, another football team/program that should never be ranked in the top 25. They play in the big 12 north, so they are bound to get at least 12 wins each season. Dunno how anyone ever thinks this team is good. Glad to see we will basically be playing KSU in the big 12 championship.

Colorado over AtM 35 to 34 - Hahahahahhahahahaha no explanation needed.

Navy over Notre Dame 23 to 21 - Who isnt happy about this result? 2 consecutive loses to Navy both at home!? There goes Clausens heisman!

Stanford over Oregon 51 - 42 - Media darlings flavor of the week oregon gets crushed by Gehart and an average Stanford squad. Remember people, this is the PAC 10. No one is really that good.... USC beat ASU 14-9. 14-9! lol

LSU vs Bama - Almost... almost

Oregon State over Cal 31 - 14 - nothing funny here about the injury to Jahvid Best. However, how the heck is Cal ranked? Ill tell you how... by default. No one else is willing to step up in the top 25.

Clemson over FSU 40 to 24 - Cue the Bobby Bowden retirement rumor mill starting up again.

Houston over Tulsa 46 to 45 - The best game of the weekend, seriously. Im a homer for the Coogs, but damn they are the funnest team to watch in college football. At least their offense is. Mr Clutch does it again. 9 points in 27 seconds. Keenum for Heisman.

Nebraska over OU 10 to 3 - Lolllllllll 3 points?! 5 ints for Jones. OU sucks, no they really really do. I have no remorse for any player/coach/staff/student/fan of the University of Oklahoma. Karma.... karma

So there you have it, the perfect storm of college football wins and losses this weekend. Cant wait until Baylor next week! Hook em!

Can we stop talking about the Aggies now?

2009-11-08T14:18:02Z

With their loss to Colorado, I hope that everyone can take a deep breath of reality and realize TAMU is just an average team. Now while we shouldn't take any team lightly, I also don't think we should go all "Lou Holtz" and make a team more than they are. We have three games left before the Big 12 Championship and we need to use them to get ready to play Florida or Alabama. The defense is clicking on all cylinders and Colt finally discovered how throwing more than 20 yards down the field can pay off. Keep getting Cody and Fozzy better & find the last remaining key to our BCS puzzle which is the running the ball effectively. Get that in place, and nobody will be able to stop our well-rounded attack.

Hook 'em!

PS I got my Big 12 Championship tickets...have you?

Texas-Baylor 2nd Half Thread Photo Recommendations

2009-11-08T05:27:16Z

Janet Leigh has been an integral part of the Longhorns' success recently, but what if UT's just killing Griffin-less Baylor next Saturday? Let's have a few options on the table in case Janet gets next Saturday off for some reason, like maybe a 52-3 halftime lead. Some of my suggestions are below.

Bearskin rug:

Bear:

Or, to combine two great ideas, maybe a bear on a bearskin rug:

Any other suggestions?

This week's petition to the AP from OU

2009-11-08T05:26:11Z

Dear AP sports writers,

The Oklahoma Sooners’ recent, heroic defeat to the hands of the Nebraska Cornhuskers was a game for the ages. The defensive showdown showcased two powerhouse programs. Before casting your vote in the upcoming AP poll, here’s a few factoids to consider:

1) The combined victories of the four teams that have defeated the Sooners is 2,633 lifetime victories. This includes historical powers Texas, Nebraska, Miami & BYU.

2) The Sooners have lost their four games by a combined total of 12 points. They very easily could be 9-0.

3) The Sooners defense gave up only 10 points tonight.

4) QB Sam Bradford was once again out. Though he’s announced his plans to turn pro next year, his spirit is with us.

5) Remember when the Sooners beat Idaho St & Tulsa back-to-back, by the combined score of 109-0? That was awesome!

6) The Sooners vaunted defense held Nebraska to just 180 yards in total offense.

7) Look how many crappy teams are out there. We’re OU damnit!

8) We have neither the time nor the inclination to explain ourselves to sports writers who rise and sleep under the blanket of the very sports tradition that we provide, and then question the manner in which we provide it. We would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, we suggest you pick up a football, and get in a three-point stance. Either way, we don't give a damn what you think about OU football. Keep us in the Top 25 damnit!

9) OK, we’re sorry. Coach Stoops will tear me a new one if we get voted out of the AP for the first time since 2005. I’m sure we can get you a nice new auto. Or, how about free gas?

These are some of the many salient arguments in weighing the ranking of the Oklahoma Sooners football team, coached by future hall-of-famer Bob "Big Game" Stoops. We respectfully request to be considered for the AP’s Top 25. To further enhance our case, we're opening up fan comments at the site - www.burntorangenation.com. Look in the FanPosts and you'll find additional arguments to keep OU in the Top 25, if not the Top 10.

If you have any further questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact us. If for any reason I am unable to return your call in a timely manner, it's due to the seven national championship trophies interfering with the wi-fi in my office.

Best regards,

Sooners PR department

(Not really in case the AP decides to run this story)

BCS System Alternatives

2009-11-07T02:14:52Z

With the exception of an "elite" few and the BCS itself, I think it's fair to say there is a general consensus that the current BCS system is inadequate in determining a true national champion. There is also a sentiment of both lovers and haters of the system that they are tired of talking about. "BCS = BS" has become a broken record. But a change to the system is, to some degree, inevitable. As tiring as the conversation is, it's important that it does get talked about, over and over again like a 4-year-old repeatedly begging for candy until the parent gives in just to shut them up.

Naturally, I am not the first to bring it up or to propose something like the following, but the intention is to generate conversation between knowledgeable football nerds that consider all factors and the future issues that a particular change might encounter. This proposal is far from perfect and I don't pretend to understand all that is involved, so by all means, correct me or, better yet, propose a better system.

1) Keep the polling as is, if you must. The computers drive me the craziest despite the logic in utilizing a formula to evaluate the magnitude of a team's results. There seems to be something inherently wrong with the coaches poll to me, but then again, I understand why it's there.

I hear a lot of arguments about the regular season. If the 12 or 13 games leading up to the postseason have a bearing in making the top ranked teams that get in, then regular season will no doubt play a factor.

2) 8 teams. Go ahead with the response on how this is a slippery slope to 16 or 32, but expanding the playoff does not have to be inevitable. The top 8 ranked teams advance into a playoff while the remaining continue on with the other non-BCS bowl games.

3) The 8 teams are seeded in the four BCS bowls: Rose, Fiesta, Orange and Sugar. Each of these games would represent the first round of playoffs. The interest would be there and thus, the money would follow. Of course, there is now an issue with Conference bids, but if we're talking about a true playoff system, screw Conference bids (easier said than done, $$$). The networks should only eat up the additional games, as would the host cities. Perhaps make the networks pay and let the conferences distribute the money how they see fit. May the best 8 make it.

4) The Semi-Finals could be rotated among the BCS bowls, much like the NC game is now which would also rotate.

Of course, there are a lot of other factors to be considered here, so we can address those too.

Here's a visual look at what I'm thinking:

via i978.photobucket.com

Mock BCS talk between Fla, Bama, Tex, Iowa

2009-11-06T17:23:22Z

A friend (and graduate of Iowa) sent me this link....

http://isportsweb.com/2009/10/28/behind-the-hallowed-walls-of-the-bcs/

While this is a satirical view from a Hawkeye's point of view, it does have some truth in pointing out yet another flaw of the BCS.

I also want to point out something about Bama's schedule and Iowa's schedule.... (as of Friday 11/6)

The overall record of Bama's opponents is 33 and 33. The overall record of Iowa's opponents is 44 and 31.

Bama has had 6 home games and 2 road games (Kentucky & Ole Miss). Iowa has had 6 home games and 3 road games (Penn St, Wisconsin, Mich St).

I'm not trying to start a debate and I'm sure there are a ton of statistics that would point to a favorable view for any team to make the championship game. I'm just saying the media and so-called "experts" assume Bama and/or Florida is/are the better team(s) just because it's the SEC. And that Iowa is "weaker" because they win ugly and the past failures of the Big 10.

I think we should stop making assumptions and I wish some changes would be made to the overall system. Would Iowa be ranked higher than Bama if they were ranked higher to start the season?? Would Iowa be ranked higher if the Coaches hadn't dropped them out of the rankings after they beat Arizona??

Just sayin'.........

Weekly BON Hit Award osu

2009-11-06T14:27:34Z

This week has big plays and key tackles in open space. We don't really have the slobber knockers we've seen over the past few weeks, but there are some amazing athletic plays on the board. A new name makes the list this week and I think we'll definitley come away with a consesus.

A few notes:

Kenny Vaccaro didn't have a highlight hit but probably had the best game of the year for him. If his level of play on special teams conitnues, I think we'll see him making more of an appearance in the defensive backfield, especially where physical run support is needed.

Gotta love the Curtis Brown explosion. Our D-Backs are amazing. You can see the level of maturity and confidence going through the entire group of guys. Each pic could be the biggest hit, especially when they go for 6.

Our Linebacking Corps are phenomenal to watch. Muck is a mad man this year, Robinson is extremely dependable, Emmanuel Acho is getting freaky, and Sergio defys the laws of physics. The pic 6 by Curtis Brown was led 77 yards downfield by Sergio and Robinson both running in front of a full speed defensive back. Amazing athletes.

In case you haven't noticed we have some studs on this team. You can see the conifdence building week to week and there is no let up in intensity. Guys are flying to the ball and absolutely bringing it on every snap. I love these guys and the effort they are giving us all deserves our full support. Come early, be loud, and stay late. Beat UCF.

Let's get to the vote.

The Weekly BON Hit Award osu Video

Poll

Weekly BON Hit Award osu

TCU?

2009-11-06T07:25:57Z

heard some noise from many out there that TCU is better than our horns...... on many levels i would have to agree. college football seems quite weak this year and believe we have been been on the right side of luck way too often.... we should feel blessed.... also saw where the ESPN experts (....seems like ESPN is sometimes our personal network...) are now saying Colt is a late first round to early second round draft pick.... my guess is 4th round..... we need to be careful on Thanksgivng night or we will wind up in the holiday bowl playing USC

Boise St.

2009-11-05T23:13:31Z

As mentioned in the "Daily Roundup", Boise St. is looking for a road opponent in 2011 (Link). Does anyone know who in the athletic department we can write and beg them to take BSU up on this? As a fan I'm tired of our OOC schedule because it: 1) sent fucking OU to the title game last year, 2) makes us look like vaginas equal in size to TTU, 3) regulates us to a bunch of crappy FSN games I have to watch in standard def, and 4) gives the already anti-UT media one more reason to pile on the hate. And if anyone is reading this and thinking "fuck no I don't want to schedule BSU, we might lose", immediately stop reading this, navigate to craigslist, and place an add for your missing balls. What's your thought process, that we might lose and hurt our MNC chances? Guess what; if we lose to BSU at home with a junior Garrett Gilbert at QB, then we're not going to win the MNC anyways. And if we're not going to win the MNC anyways, I'd like to watch as many good UT games as I can, win or lose.

Earl is among Thorpe Award semifinalists named

2009-11-05T12:58:21Z

Earl Thomas was the lone sophomore, but one of three Big 12 players, named to the Thorpe Award semifinalists list. The list, per Disney:

Javier Arenas, Sr., Alabama

Eric Berry, Jr., Tennessee

Barry Church, Sr., Toledo

Perrish Cox, Sr., Oklahoma State

Joe Haden, Jr., Florida

Brandon Harris, So., Miami (FL)

Taylor Mays, Sr., USC

Tyler Sash, So., Iowa

Darrell Stuckey, Sr., Kansas

Earl Thomas, So., Texas

Alterraun Verner, Sr., UCLA

Kyle Wilson, Sr., Boise State

http://espn.go.com/blog/big12/post/_/id/6160/three-big-12-dbs-among-thorpe-award-semifinalists

I think this list is longer than it needs to be, but of course they want to be able to pare it down to finalists later. For the sake of discussion, I'll guess that Earl Thomas, Eric Berry, Taylor Mays, and Javier Arenas will all be on the list, and my impulse is to say the same for Stuckey.