Cursed With Ambition

Ojo Rojo's National Championship Breakdown

Here we are again four years later.  How sweet it is to be a Longhorn fan right now.  So many storylines in this one.  Not the least are the similarities to the 2005 campaign.  Our opponent is ranked #1 and sports the reigning Heisman Trophy winner.  Our quarterback is a Heisman finalist, just like the messiah VY was.  Playing in the Rose Bowl again.  None of that shit really matters, though.  It's just coincidence.  All of the hype and comparisons between the teams' opponents and results of the past season are meaningless now.  It's going to come down to who plays the best for 3-1/2 hours tomorrow night.  Still, that won't stop me from talking it into the ground.

Talentwise, I think both teams are about equal.  This isn't going to be a situation where one team physically or athletically dominates the other.  If one team comes out flat or scared then it could be a track meet and a blowout, but I don't think that's going to happen.  A bounce of the ball this way or that, a turnover or two and big special teams plays usually decide games like this of evenly matched, evenly coached teams.

I think going in, Texas' gameplan is going to be to go no huddle on offense to start out the game.  Throughout the season, the short passing game has been the bread and butter of the Texas offense.  Most people believe that the short passing game explains McCoy's ridiculously high completion percentage in the last two years.  Surprisingly though, his average yards per completion numbers are not below those of the national leaders in passing.  For this game, I look for a couple of things:  the average route to be several yards deeper than those we've run all year and for Colt to run more.  It was obvious that Greg Davis intentionally shackled Colt early in the season to protect him from injury and to develop the passing game.  But Colt is such an effective runner that I think it's a weapon that will be exploited in this game where there is no tomorrow.  By playing uptempo, keeping the Bama defense on its heels and breathing hard and hopefully putting up some points early we might force them to play from behind, especially if we get up by two touchdowns.  Playing from behind means passing more and that's not the Alabama offensive strength.

If we go three and out on our first couple of possessions and Alabama establishes the run and chews up the clock by pounding it with Ingram and Richardson then the Horns could be in trouble.  At that point I'd be looking for a special teams touchdown to shift momentum.

The Tide's quarterback, Greg McElroy (Texan), is underrated in my opinion.  He's not flashy, but he's a good game manager and takes care of the football.  He's only thrown four interceptions all season.  That in itself is pretty remarkable.  I look for Muschamp to gamble early and put eight guys in the box to stop their powerful running game.  If we can force McElroy to beat us throwing the ball I think Texas wins the game.

A lot has been made of Texas' offensive line woes, but I think that has been overstated.  Ndominant Suh made them look like children, but I think they are better than what we witnessed in the Big XII Championship game.  Plus, I know they are pissed and looking to prove themselves.  They probably lost Colt the Heisman and they know it.  I look for them to have a good game.  Plus, Bama's d-line stud, Terrence Cody, isn't the same kind of player that Suh is.  He's more of a plug up the middle kind of guy who commands double teams and allows linebackers to make plays.  Don't look for Cody to have 4.5 sacks, even if he has a great game.  No, if he has a great game, Texas' average per rush will be below three yards per carry.

Colt will lead the team in rushing.  In the SEC Championship, Tebow led Florida in rushing and averaged over six yards per carry.  Colt is a better runner than Tebow; not as powerful, but quicker and faster.  If we can spread them out and get them to play nickel all game then Colt can get into the open field.  Also, I don't think we've run Shipley on a reverse all season.  That was a play that worked well for us last season.  I hope we see it at least once this game.

There is nothing that scares me in this game.  Because we are underdogs and don't have the Heisman winner we are not expected to win.  No pressure.  We haven't played our best game yet this season.  Our guys have looked loose and Mack has too.  I think we are going to win the National Championship.

Texas 24, Bama 16.

Hook 'em.

Happy New Year

On the eve of the end of the 2009 college football season I have to weigh in on several topics.

First - Mike Leach. Let's just get something straight right way.  A player, albeit the son of a former NFL player and college star, makes an accusation and brings down an entire regime at Texas Tech.  This is troubling, not because it didn't happen the way he said, but because 10 years of goodwill and a lifetime career is ended based on a naked allegation.  A mutiny of one.

Make no mistake, I'm not a Mike Leach fan.  I take that back, I'm a Mike Leach fan, but not a Texas Tech fan.  I don't really care much about Texas Tech, unless they beat my team.  But Leach was a rogue; an anomaly and a novelty in college football.  And for that, I loved the man.

In less than a week's time, a player - Adam James - took down a career, a regime and a coach based on a simple allegation.  I don't know if it's true or false.  But what's worrisome is that it doesn't matter.  There is no due process in the court of public opinion.  An allegation is all it takes.

My ultimate opinion is that Adam James is a forthright pussy who felt himself better than the establishment, better than the chain of command and his superiors and ultimately he won.  I think this sets an extremely poor precedent, if this precedent can even be set given what happened to fat Mangino.  Locked in a small dark room?  So what?  Coaches have ways of motivating and disciplining players that might stretch cultural acceptance.  But if the player is the son of someone with a public persona and pulpit - watch out!! I've lost all respect for Craig James.  Never had any for Adam.  All I'm saying is that it's a very dangerous issue where a single player can make a naked allegation and a coach from a prominent program gets fired.  The balance of power has shifted.

Redeye Consumer Reports

This is the text of an actual message I sent to an online seller in response to the question, "Did you receive your order?"

"No.  Velocity Express totally sucks.  Someone's Christmas is ruined
because of their ineptitude.  LAST ORDER EVER.

You are worthless."

 

The Heisman, Gameday and the 'Horns

1. So Mark Ingram won the Heisman.  I'm a bit disappointed that Colt didn't win it, but not surprised.  The regional aspect of the voting has really eroded the credibility of the award, in my opinion.  Now it's just like any other national political contest.  Basically, McCoy lost because Suh was from the same region.  Granted, Tebow took some votes from Ingram since they were both from the southeast voting region, but not as many as Suh took from McCoy.  Suh probably wouldn't have even been a finalist if it wasn't for the monster game he had against the 'Horns.  That game was definitely his "Heisman Moment."  The fact that Colt had a poor game statistically probably was as much of the reason he didn't win as anything.  So, really, the Texas offensive line lost the Heisman for Colt because they allowed Suh into the picture and didn't allow Colt to shine.  I wonder if Mac McWhorter has trouble sleeping at night?  The ESPN production of the telecast was horrible.  Fowler always manages to do a good job, especially considering everything he does is live, but all of the lighting and sound mishaps were just bad.  If I was Herbstreit I'd be pissed.  Corso is hard to watch these days.  He gets confused and loses his train of thought. 
2. Speaking of Fowler, Herbstreit and Corso - I think Gameday, which I've loved, has jumped the shark.  Not only is Corso's mind gone, but his schtick is just old.  The pencil, donning the mascot's head, the catchphrase.  It was cool the first few years, but now it's just tired. They're bringing in a celebrity guest to make picks at the end.  I saw Teddy Bruschi, Matt Millen and Drew Brees.  Bruschi was okay, but Millen is braindead and Brees had a wardrobe malfunction trying to put on a purple blazer to show the love for LSU.  I love listening to Fowler and Herbstreit still, but Corso is way, way past his prime.  He's a major live TV liability and even though the other two guys cover for him reasonably well - a credit to them - it's still obvious.  I also don't like the addition of Desmond Howard.  I cringe anytime a former-player-turned-sportscaster starts any sentence with, "When I played..."  He's a fairly likeable personality, but his commentary is forced and mostly unnecessary.  They need to find a new third, for sure, but Desmond Howard ain't it.  What they need, to fill the black guy role (Howard) and the coach role (Corso) is a black former coach.  I wonder how well Sylvester Croom tests?
3. So, Ingram.  In truth, any of the finalists (Except maybe Tebow) could have won without any public outcry.  It was a close race.  The closest ever, in fact.  Watching his emotional speech and his sincerity, I was happy for the Mark Ingram.  It was also cool to see the former winners standing behind him offering words of encouragement when he was trying to control his emotions to be able to speak.
4. I'm generally not in favor of an hour long special for something that should take five minutes.  It's all hype and bullshit.  That's why I was taking a shower during the middle part of the show.  I just wanted to see the frickin' announcement.  So I initially missed almost all of the player bios and that Tebow/Colt date that they set up.  I saw it later on a replay of the broadcast when I was eating dinner at a pub, but I couldn't hear the sound, which was probably more interesting.  I don't like Tebow and I can't say exactly why.  But I will say this:  his main impact at the NFL level should be as the first openly-gay active quarterback in the league.  Prolly won't happen with the John 3:17 and whatnot, but any dude who is a physical stud and a 4-year starter at a major FBS program and is a purported virgin...well, I don't have to spell it out for you.  Not that there's anything wrong with that.  And the dude was making eyes at Colt over those ridiculously built sandwiches.  (Inedible presentation of food is one of my pet peeves, BTW.)  Plus, Tebow never ate anything.  (Just like a chick on a date.)  Colt ate, for the record.  One more thing:  when you type in "Colt McCoy girlfriend" into Google, you get this.  She sits with his parents during games.  When you type in "Tim Tebow girlfriend" you get a bunch of pictures of chicks who are NOT Tim Tebow's girlfriend.  I'm not sayin'; I'm just sayin'.
5. The 'Horns really scared me with their play in the Big XII Championship game.  If the O-line limits Suh to half the game he had I think we win by two touchdowns.  And Suh would still have had a monster game.  Bama's got Terrence Cody.  Not as good as Suh, probably, but if he's even close then we're in big trouble.  Texas hasn't done well against all of their top-level competition this year.  Barely beat a severely wounded OU team.  Barely beat a schizophrenic A&M team.  Barely, barely, barely beat a Nebraska team with inferior talent that should still be a couple of years away.  Bama's going to be better than all of those teams.  Based on that, I don't expect us to win.  But, we've got equal or better talent at every position and if the team plays up to their capabilities we certainly can win.  Needless to say, on the evening of Jan. 7th if you hear a guy screaming at Earl Thomas to run! run! run! that interception back for a touchdown - that might be me.  I've already taken off Jan. 8th from work.

Ojo Rojo's Brilliance, and Other Lies

1. I'm hugely in favor of a college football playoff.  The main reason isn't because I hate the current system so much.  Don't get me wrong, the current system is ridiculous - voters, polls, computer rankings, blah, blah, blah.  Almost every other major sport in the world annoints their champion through some sort of playoff system.  That should tell you something right there.  But what I really hate is the fact that the people in control of the deal are getting away with such blatant lies.  College presidents, conference commissioners, bowl chairmen and TV execs are the people behind the current system.  Despite what anyone of those people have said are the reasons that the current system remains in place, the real reason is simple:  MONEY.  Everybody already knows that.  What I don't understand is, why are they just honest about it?  Why can't these people just say, "The current system is the most lucrative for all concerned and that's why it exists."  But I'll go one step further and say that the biggest impediment to a playoff isn't money, it's uncertainty.  A college football playoff might generate EVEN MORE money than the current system.  But the people who could really make this decision - college presidents, the NCAA and conference commissioners - don't really know if that's true or not.  Furthermore, if the system is changed, the people who stand to lose the most are the bowls.  They hold enough sway as it stands now to keep the status quo.  And this is unlikely to change anytime soon because college footbally is as popular as it's ever been.  The people at the top point to that fact as evidence that the current system is working.  I think that's a coincidence.  I think college football is as popular as it is in spite of the current system.  I think college football is so popular now, in part, because of the NFL's marketing failures, but those are subjects for another time.  The bottom line is this:  the bowls are antiquated and should be killed in favor of a playoff system.  If there is some way to keep the bowls and still have a playoff, fine.  However, I don't think that would ever happen because of the revenue sharing that would have to occur.  For example, can you imagine if each playoff game is one of the bowls?  One team could play in the Emerald Bowl, Holiday Bowl and Orange Bowl before playing in the national championship final?  At current payouts for those bowls, that team would be getting in excess of $20 million.  I don't know how the money from bowl payouts is currently distributed now, but presumably the conference gets a slice, but that's it.  Currently, ten teams feast on the big payouts from the BCS bowl games and all of the other FCS teams get much, much less or nothing at all.  Again, I don't know how much bowl payouts figure into the budget of a program, but it wouldn't take long for a group of 10 or 15 teams who perennially appear in one of the big bowls to start to move way out ahead of lesser financed teams.  I know that money isn't all that goes into building a successful program, but it's a huge chunk of it.  Anyway, I just don't see one team being able to rake in all that money.  If that were allowed to happen a huge disparity would develop between playoff bound programs and all the others.  We're already starting to see that now with some conferences being treated like second class citizens because it is much more difficult for their teams to get into the big money games.  Anyway, bowls can coexist with a playoff.  As it stands now, all but one of the bowls are meaningless as far as a championship goes, so what's the big deal?  You want to have the Big XII no. 3 play the SEC no. 4?  Go to it, Cotton Bowl.  People will still go to the game and watch the game and the players will still get the bowl reward.  The game just won't have any playoff implications (unless the bowl itself is made a playoff game).  I could go on and on and on about this, but my main point is this - people in charge stop lying to us!!  Just tell us the truth:  that your decisions are only motivated by money and that you're too scared of the alternative.
2. If you want to defeat fundamentalist Muslims and win the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and diffuse a potential conflict with Iran, empower their women.  It starts with education.  Educate their women, instigate social programs that encourage women to become professionals and entrepreneurs and community leaders and it's done.
3. I thought I had more than two.