I'm happy for the team and the coaching staff. They deserved what they (obviously) worked for. I wish it had occurred on T+1, but a nice outcome nonetheless.

This will go far in recruiting and off-season practice.

Will it affect coaching changes? JC going pro?

We'll know soon enough.

Now, how bout that roundball season!

Does Akina deserve another chance next year because of this game? Or was this just a fluke and a result of ASU's pathetic offensive line?

Oldtimers should remember his Miami team that humiliated UT in the Cotton Bowl. The NCAA even instituted new taunting penalties afterwards due to his team's behavior. That game spoiled our "Shock-the-Nation" season.

All fall, I've been a minority voice that the Horns' failures were largely due to players not knowing what to do. Well that game, to me, just proved what the Horns can do do once they know what they are doing.

One of the big deals about getting to a bowl, and why so many coaches and administrators don't want a playoff, is because it allows an extra 3+ weeks of practice, after accounting for a break around Christmas, that other non-bowl teams don't get. That's almost as much as summer camp. Clearly the whole "Not Our Standard" motif was as much about teaching the players how to play as it was about motivation.

It seemed clear to me that, until ASU started their no-huddle with a new QB in the 4th quarter, the Horns were finally playing TOGETHER. They knew what they were supposed to do. LBs knew what gaps to attack. Norton and Muckelroy could be the starters and be on the field because they knew how and when to drop into coverage versus attack the QB. The safeties knew which receivers to roll over on. The CB's were able to jam up on the receivers occasionally because they (and Akina) had confidence in the safeties. Every player could be aggressive and successful. I think Mack Brown, in one press quote after the game, put it best: "We were this aggressive against A&M but it didn't do any good." That implies that players and schemes were aggressive, but players filled the wrong gaps (ran into a pile) or took the wrong angles on defense.

Offensively, the Horns looked similar to quarters earlier in the season when they dominated. The difference here was that they were ready to run the football right from the start, and that they made additional adjustments in the second half (QB draws) to beat the blitz (which caused UT to have three of four possessions in the second and third quarters with net negative yards) and free up McGee, McCoy, and Charles for long runs. To me the offensive line has matured, after 4 weeks of summer camp, a season, and 3 weeks of additional practice, into a very consistent unit.

So the debate will continue: was the disappointing season due to coaches or players? I for one (and maybe the only one) would suggest it was 75% players and 25% coaching. Likely Akina was learning how to design a defensive game plan and call a game in this, his first year, and so made many mistakes, as probably anyone would. Sure GD put too much faith in game films in designing his game plans, and got caught by surprise when non-blitzing teams opened the corral and yelled "Yee-hah" to their LB's and safteties. But one would have to look at the Holiday Bowl as evidence that, once players have learned how to play, the coaches can teach the game and call plays creatively and make quicker in-game adjustments. As Mack Brown said all year, this is a young team, and maybe it just grew up a lot.

That is all

Mack was clapping less and looked pretty mean sob last night?

He was no longer a nice, southern-gentleman like CED, but looked like a coach who had fire in eyes and was determined to kick ASU's ass!!

Texas played like a top-10 team for only the second or third time this season, was it enough to play their way into the top 10 in the final polls? Unlikely, but possible.

17. Current rank, changes to...

16. By beating #12 ASU, who have to drop below us

15. By passing #13 Illinois, who will likely lose to USC

14. By passing #10 Hawai'i, who will get demolished by Georgia

13. By passing either Tennessee or Wisconsin, who sit at #16 (AP) and #15 (Coaches) respectively - so either way we move up in one poll

12. By passing #15/16 Clemson, who could lose to Auburn

11. By passing #14 BC, who could lose to Michigan State, but probably won't

10. By passing #11/9 WVU, who could drop below us with a loss to OU (not likely) OR

10. By passing #9/12 Florida, who could lose to Michigan (not likely) OR

10. By passing #8 Kansas, who could drop below us with a loss to Va Tech (not likely) OR

10. By passing #7 Mizzou, who could lose to Arkansas (not likely)

So essentially we're just about guaranteed to finish at #13 in at least one of the polls (exactly where we finished last year btw), and would need to have 3 improbable upsets happen in the other 6 games to make it to the top 10. But given how wacky this CFB season has been, I wouldn't bet against our chances just yet. And given how we all felt after the aTm debacle, I think you'll agree that anywhere between 10 and 13 will be a fine way to finish.

is anyone going to make a preview of this game?

My random thoughts:

·  We absolutely dominated the first quarter.  Where has this team been all year?  All that talk about Mack getting the team fired up and every position open for competition seemed to have worked, but then....

·  The son-in-law incident.  I'm gonna save this for last because I have plenty to say, none of it positive.

·  The line play was excellent.  We dominated both sides of the ball.  Especially defense where we completely stuffed their running game.  However I still don't understand why we ask our O-line to hold their blocks on delayed handoffs when it seems obvious we can line up and run it down their throats.  Which leads me to say....

·  Greg Davis has to go.  Unimaginative play calling.  Conservative tactics.  After the first quarter, it was the same old same old.

·  Colt McCoy is a decent runner, but he needs to learn to play smart.  He is a quarterback;  he is not Vince Young.  He should not try to do to much.  There is much value in running out of bounds, throwing the ball away, going down quickly, even sliding down to avoid the big hit.  Cut your losses and live to make a play next time.  All of his turnovers were preventable.  This has been a recurring theme this year.  A coaching issue.  

·  Speaking of coaching, Akina must go.  Demote him or fire him.  The defense looked great in the first quarter but then it was the same old same old.  Was that a prevent defense?  Sure looked like one.  If so, then why are we blitzing constantly?  If we're going to blitz on every single play, why can't we get more sacks?  I can't count how many times blitzers would run straight into blocks and neutralize themselves.  This has happened all year long.  Maybe it's a personnel issue?  Drew Kelson seemed to make the most of his blitzing opportunity.  Why is he basically only used on special teams?  And what the hell was up with our corner who had an open shot on Carpenter's blind side and somehow whiffed?  That is a defender's dream and should have been a jarring hit and fumble.  No killer instinct.  Which leads me back to....

·  The incident.  OK, I'll admit I'm still embarrassed and pissed off about this.  The whole game changed on this one play.  Texas looked possessed in the first quarter and then completely reverted to the same old milquetoast team we've seen all year.  Momentum is gone, we go conservative, and if we don't have a 21 point lead, we probably lose this game.  First of all, WTF is the kid even doing on the sideline?  Is this nepotism or what?  Don't think players and recruits don't notice this kind of bullshit.  Secondly, WTF is he doing on the field?  I don't care if he touched the ball or not, he should have never even been in that position.  The whistle had not blown, so stay off the damn field, idiots.  This is where I, once again, have to blame Mack Brown.  He has no control or accountability in place.  The players are coddled.  The son-in-law is coddled.  Kid should been sent to the locker room immediately or at least stayed there for the second half.  Laughing off this potentially catastrophic blunder makes a mockery of Mack's "Not Our Standard" motivational ploy.  Players notice this kind of stuff, and it showed in the team's performance.  They lost their edge and never recovered.  Ask yourself how Bob Stoops or Les Miles or Bob Knight would have reacted to this situation.  I understand you have to keep peace at home which is why you talk to the kid after the game and bring him back next year if he serves any useful purpose whatsoever.  But you have to send an immediate message to the players that such tomfoolery and irresponsible gaffes will not be tolerated by anyone on the team.  Otherwise all your words about open competition and accountability ring very hollow.  

·  With the kind of talent Texas possesses, this game should have been a resounding blowout, and the scoreboard perhaps says that it was.  But I look at the potential which was displayed in the first quarter, and I wonder why the team can't maintain that level of play.  And I have to point my finger at the coaches.  A nice victory, but in my mind merely a tantalizing glimpse at what could have been.  

Why wasn't Carpenter called for intentional grounding on the infamous ballboy play? I believe he threw it to no one in particular, and the ball obviously didn't go past the line of scrimmage (he threw it backwards!).

Even though a lateral is a live-ball, shouldn't it still be intentional grounding by definition? I guess if you throw it backwards, it's an exception, unfortunately for Chris Jessie.