1. Chiles - the James Brown references have been thrown around this week and I think they are somewhat fitting.  This answer would be McCoy if not for his concussion last week.  He still has the experience and toughness you need. But walking on the field Chiles adds an unpredictable factor to the offense this week.  Sure it could go south quick, but you learn that way.

2. O-Line - it doesn't matter how good or bad the secondary is if we can't score points.  If that O-line is bad, we may not score much of anything on offense. That being said, refer to # 1 for the possible solution to an ineffective line.

3. A win will cause me to retain optimism for a "stepping stone year" to bigger things next year.  There is little hope for MNC aspirations this year and I think we're still in for another loss regardless.  A loss will cause me to appreciate even more what VY could do with his leadership.  He changed the personality of the team.  We need it back.  A loss makes me want to see the leaders of next year get most of the playing time this year.

4. This one has gone from the Horns being a decent favorite in the pre-season to an 11 point dog this week.  That's the biggest spread either way in a while. I really don't know what to think this week.  Based on what we expect to see from the coaches, I wouldn't bet lunch on the Horns winning.  Who but a homer could pick the Horns? Well I'm wearing orange today and Lee Corso is still a penis.

Horns 20 OU 17

Not shocked. damn shame.

1. McCoy - barring injury, you don't take the start away from McCoy.  The solution to our offensive line woes (and turnovers) is not burying your head in the sand, its giving those guys more help.  Line up in a two back set and give McCoy more protection.

Upright McCoy + 3 WRs > 5 WRs + McCoy on his ass

Chiles should be utilized throughout the game, but putting him as the starter gives us no chance to win.  He's simply not ready to do anything but run to daylight and that will not get us close to winning saturday.

2. Offensive Line - Put it simply, if we can run and pass block we've got the weapons to make a game of it no matter what OU does on offense.  If the offense turns the ball over or gives OU the short field it won't matter what the secondary has been doing.  This game will be won in the trenches.  With Orakpo back I like our d-line.  OU's d-line has some injury issues, so if we can get it together we may be able to do enough to stay in it.

3. Win = elation.  Blowout loss will lead me really question what the coaching staff was thinking and I will expect to see personnel and an OC change this year.  However, if the 'horns fight hard and keep this close, I will be very excited about the future prospects of this team.

4. I haven't drank the OU cool-aid.  For all intents and purposes they have not faced anyone of record this season.  They had adversity for a quarter and half last Saturday and did not respond.  Keep this game close early and OU (especially Bradford) may get flustered with visions of CU.

Call me a crazy homer, but if we execute the game plan and win the turnover battle we will have an opportunity to win on the last play of the game.

Texas 30 - OU 28

1.  Have Chiles throw deep to Limus.  The "limited package" for Chiles is too obvious.

2.  Texas O-line needs to put the OU D-line on their ass if they jump up or put arms up to block a pass.

3.  satified with a well played game (win or lose).

4.  Defensive battle with Ryan Baily winning the game in the final seconds - Texas 13, OU 10

After a week of paralysis of analysis from the automobile head-on collision that was the Kansas State game, there is still feeling in all our extremities, especially Colt McCoy's head.

1. McCoy or Chiles? Explain.

Both. Having Chiles in the same backfield as McCoy with McCoy taking the snap has the greatest POTENTIAL for success because it puts one more player with the ability to make plays (run or pass) in the backfield. At least it will cause the defense to react to UT rather than simply attack what it has seen on film the previous 5 games.

2. Bigger concern: Texas' offensive line or secondary?

It's easier to mask a weakness in the secondary (zones and safety help) than it is on the OL. Going max protect only helps if you have receivers that can regularly beat double coverage and a NASTY, physical tight end, and that's not UT this year.

3. A win will cause you to...., while a loss will cause you to....

A win will cause me to walk around with my jaw hanging open for a day or two. I'll still be grinning at everyone on Wednesday

A loss will cause me to stop reading the sports page for at least a week (although I will be faithful in reading BON).

4. Prediction?

This much I know:
a. No way our coverage teams give up more than a 10 yard punt return and a 25 yard kickoff return this week. OU's Reggie Smith will be conservative after muffing a punt last week.
b. Oklahoma's defensive front will not be tougher than K State's.
c. GD will still be calling run plays in the fourth quarter.
d. Colt will throw only one interception, and it won't be a pick six.
e. Chiles will have one running play of more than 15 yards in the first quarter and will throw one option pass (incomplete) in the second.
f. We will run a fake punt for a first down.
g. Charles will have one TD run for more than 20 yards in the second half.
h. Malcolm Kelly or Joaquin Iglesias scores on only one long pass.

Texas 24 OU 21

2. Offensive Line.  Why else do you think Colt looked so good last year and so bad now?

3. Win; sleep well at night knowing we still have a shot at a BCS bowl.  Loss; have nightmares about goofy looking OU quarterbacks.

4. 28-24 Texas

wouldn't pin a fin on my fate. But I'm gonna do it anyway.

1. McCoy, if and only if he has recovered. Would love to see Chiles involved and to get several series at QB under his belt. Without a doubt, OU will try to knock Colt out of the game. They don't figure he'll run, so they'll blitz him in myriad ways. This will be where we can rack up some long gains if not TDs early. I would like to see Colt immediately throw long to Jamaal (at split end) early; not out of five wide but keeping two in to block, with Limas/Quan over the middle at mid-depth to hold safety and Pittman//Shipley/Finley dragging across short middle. Let Jamaal win a foot race to the ball. Shock 'em. (Although I'd prefer outright electrocution.)

2. Ah, that's like bullet A in the brain or bullet B. The hard truth is that the Texas D, all of it, will have the key role in any UT victory. The whole group has to step up. Without pressure on Bradford, we'll be sliced and diced, with this or any other secondary. OU will employ all possible tactics to keep our D-Line away from Bradford; quick openers, sprint and roll outs, delayed handoffs, shovel passes, naked bootlegs (at least one) and screens. Bradford is their greatest vulnerability. It's time for MacDuff and Akina to earn their salary: if the Horns get to Bradford, they probably get the win. (Depending, as always, on special teams.)

3. I don't plan on losing. I can be stoic, Zero of Titium version. More cheerleaders.

4. Tx 44, OU 42

5. Special Note: Stoops has had two years to stew in failure, to be burnt by those tricky, sneaky Boise State usurpers and various other afflictions at the hands of his enemies. (I heard someone even stole the keys to his new car.) I would expect the sneakiest, nastiest, most underhand game plan ever. He wants - and needs - revenge because he's on shaky ground, too.  

1.
I'll start with a caveat - the coaches know way more than I do...  way, way more.  So I hope there's a real plan behind the entire way they're using both Chiles and Colt, but I admit it's completely beyond me.

Way back in those halcyon, undefeated days of mid-September, I commented on a post regarding Chiles:   click
Since I came up with 4 scenarios, only one of which didn't entirely scare the crap out of me, and that's the only one that was completely ruled out, I'm bothered, bemused and baffled here.  If we'd played Chiles more and earlier, I'd think we'd be far more likely to take our chances with him.  The fact that we didn't play him because our early games were 'too tight' does not bode well for us playing him in the OU game, where 'tight' doesn't do it justice.  So I'm guessing we play Colt, and pray we don't kill the lad.

And that bothers me about Mack.  I know he's not a Stoops, willing to play anyone at all if it helps win now, whether it's the walking wounded or they've just put their buddy in a coma.  But I go back to last year's bowl game, where I was shocked that they sent Colt out there so soon after a potentially dangerous (and re-aggravated, to boot!!!) injury, and it gives me pause.  To be honest, I would have rather lost with Quan at QB (That was going in, of course; I was quite happy to see Colt getting back into a groove in the second half.).

I think we'll see Colt out there, and I hope he does great.  But I'm still not too impressed with the job our staff has done with backup QBs the last few years.  With our recruiting (and I know, I know, Perriloux really screwed us...), there's just no real excuse to have true freshmen backups two years running, and no other good options...

2.
Hard to say...  Both were question marks coming into the year, and both have been answered in the negative.  Decisively.  One fallout of a potential loss here might be - well, I'll answer that in its place...

3.
A win would definitely be an attitude booster.  Both for the fans and the team, I would imagine.  If we can put it together against OU, I would think we'd be in line to possibly win the conference and get to a BCS game.  That would be huge.  Also hugely unexpected as of early this October...  A loss, as I started to allude to earlier, might bring about a revised plan regarding the younger players.  On both the line and in the secondary, we have big problems currently, and the future looks very bright indeed.  If we lose, I would certainly hope that in a sense Mack starts to play for next year, and that his mindset is freed up a bit.  He should play the younger guys and live with the learning curve now rather than next year.  He should also start playing way more aggressively, with a sense of abandon and risk-taking we're not used to.  He would really have nothing much to lose at that point.  Oh, and by the way, I'm not talking about the linebackers here.  That one should be beyond argument at this point.  There's just no legitimate reason you play any of the older starters over the younger, better guys.  Even my caveat that the coaches know more than we do doesn't work in this case...  There's no knowing anything that excuses Killebrew, Derry, and Bobino taking the lion's share of snaps.
I don't care if Norton, Muck (and what the heck, based on one half, Kindle too) sleep through practice and kick Mack's dogs during the week, they're that much better on Saturdays.

My head says loss, possibly bad.  My heart says the team rallies and we pull one out against OU like we used to in the weeks following our disasters against them...  

Ah, what the hell, sometimes you just have let hope triumph:  UT- 27  OU- 17

sorry for the long-windedness... but too lazy to edit.

damn simple stuff...hey, seems like I've heard that before....methinks it's what the criticism leveled at Davis and McCoy revolves around....hmmm....so OU is guilty of doing the same thing??? horrors

1.  Chiles - i have never been a big McCoy fan, and have argued that he can be a good college QB but not great, and we need the chance for greatness especially under GD.

2.  Secondary.  OU may pass for 400 yds and put up 50 points on us.

3.  Win or loss I am going to the Hawaii game either way and OU will still suck.  I just hope it isn't such a beat down that everyone at the tailgate has to let me know what they think about it.

At least out here I don't know any Okies.

4. OU 35 - UT 21... I pray it is this close.

Hey PB - how about a viewing schedule for the weekend?

1. Agree.  Chiles if Colt is not 100% though a 100% Colt gives us the better chance to win.  If Colt is 100% but starts poorly, pulling him should be an option.  Using Chiles regardless should be in the gameplan.

2. Secondary.  O-line can be mitigated to an extent by using Chiles and schemes but good coaching decisions is another matter (and not a choice for the question).  If the secondary has a poor showing, I don't think we'll be able to keep up offensively.

3. A win means I'm still hoping for a Big 12 championship and BCS game.  A loss means I'm just hoping we finish 10-3 or 11-2 on the year.  Big difference obviously.

4. Ugh.  I have to hope our special teams doesn't play as badly this week.  Regardless, I'm taking OU 31-21.  Coaching will be the difference if not turnovers or special teams.  

When is the last time UT was out of the Top 25?  

Most of us have a sick feeling about the game but wouldn't go as far as actually come out and predict a loss. I can't get myself to do it. Born and raised in Austin and having most of my family graduate at Texas has a lot to do with it, I suppose. The point is that, as long as the horns and coaches convince us hard-core mf's that they gave their all and lost, you wouldn't see so much anger on the boards. Yea, I know the point of the game is to win but everyone knows that expectations aren't very high right now. Maybe I'm just becoming a softy but if they give us a hell of a game, no matter what the outcome, let's praise them on Sunday. If they don't play at the level we think they can (and expect), then we should give them shit. Sorry, I'm just a little vulnerable right now..sob...sob.

1. I could be mistaken but a QB is allotted 5-8 concussions in a career.  If count is correct, Colt is up to 1.5.  Coaches go with the doctors.  If DR's say o.k., then coaches don't overrule.  He starts. Besides, he is the most recent QB with win over OU, right?  Plus, we need a vertical threat today to stand any chance at winning and I don't think Chiles delivers that threat.  MB/GD will need the whole kitchen sink today so play Chiles and every other able bodied speedster on the team.

2. O-line must have biggest game of their careers today for chance at win.  Secondary can bend and not break but winning cannot happen unless QB is given 3.5 seconds of consistent read time and holes are opened off-tackle.

3. a) go to church tomorrow and vow to be a more faithful fan

b) go to church tomorrow

4. 31-24 OU.

P.S. - let's pray for a Lake Erie bug attack or some other pestulance.

God, that was funny!!

So much of football is emotion, especially when you have two talented teams. I think if Texas shows up pissed, ready to avenge last week's game, I think they can stop OU offensively and hang at least 21 points on them.  Make it  UT 21-  OU 10.  If, (more likely, given Brown's track record in big games, sans VY), they come out flat or overly conservative, it will be somehing aroung OU 48-  UT 10.  Unfortunately, I can see GD ordering even more short and screen passes to protect McCoy rather than having him to have to scramble or wait for the receivers to get deep.  If they lose it will be the fourth consecutive conference loss (going back to last year).  Has that ever happened?  And if it does happen, I can see them falling apart and losing to Tech, OSU, A&M, and maybe Baylor.