The Texas Longhorn, that great Anti Christ that scared so many of the faint-hearted
The records of refugees from the Big 12 vs. Texas, teams that feared the Longhorn:
Nebraska: 1-9 in their last nine meetings with Texas. The one win was in the 1973 Cotton Bowl. Corn Fairies fled to the Big 10 in 2011. Between 1996, when the Big 12 was formed, and 2011, NU never beat Texas.
Fairies of the Corn have found the going tough in the Big Ten.
Colorado: 4-6 in the last ten meetings with Texas, including six losses in a row in the last six meetings. The Ralphies boogied to the PAC 12 in 2011. They have not had a winning season nor played in a bowl game since.
Texas A&M: 3-7 in the last ten meetings with Texas. The Farmers fled to the SEC in 2012, where they've had two winning seasons and have won two bowl games. A season opening win against South Carolina was encouraging this season, but Mississippi State, Mississippi and Alabama have restored order to the SEC West. The question still remains—can the Maroon play defense?
Deeefense ... someday.
Arkansas: Since joining the SEC in 1992, the Porkers are 144-121 for a winning percentage of only 54%. They have never played for the SEC championship, and the Hogs were 3-7 against the Texas in their last ten meetings
Coaching carousel
First casualty was Charlie Weis at KU. Most recent, Will Muschamp at Florida. Next up, Brady Hoke at Michigan, and, probably, Bob Davie at New Mexico.
Weis had to go. No improvement at Lawrence in two years. But KU is a basketball school, remember?
It’s a fast-gun biz: Turner Gill at KU, two years, not enough wins—fired. Gill could have been what Kevin Sumlin has been at TAMU and Charlie Strong is apparently becoming in Austin, but KU’s admin had no patience. John Embry at Colorado, two years, not enough wins—see ya. Ellis Johnson at Southern Miss, one year, no wins—gone. Now Muschamp bites the bullet, and who will replace him?
DDT predicts that Mississippi State will sweeten Dan Mullen’s contract to keep him in Starksville. Bob Stoops and Charlie Strong, former Florida assistants, have said they’re not interested. RichRod’s name has come up, but DDT predicts that AZ will find a way to keep him in Tucson. The Rod has always been good press, but, like Mike Leach at Wazoo, frequently for the wrong reasons.
Will Steve Spurrier go back to The Swamp in a return of a prodigal or resurrection of the ol’ Ball Coach as Messiah to the Gator Nation? Unlikely.
How about Mack Brown. Muschamp was Brown’s “coach in waiting” at Texas but, as DDT correctly postulated, Muschamp was never destined to be head coach in Austin. So, in an ironic twist of fate, Brown takes the Florida job on a short-term contract, grooms a coordinator, Florida moves on, wins again ... someday.
Mack to Gainesville?
Pastry Month
The SEC, more than any other conference, indulges in shameless bullying of DivTwo puff pastry, most of it during the last month of the season: Alabama/Western Carolina; Auburn/Samford; Olay Miss/Presbyterian; Georgia/Charleston Southern; Mississippi State/UT-Martin; Florida/Eastern Kentucky.
Justice must be done, make it fair. Spot the DivTwo squads three TDs, don’t let the SEC powers play their first team—make them play their scrubs, even their redshirts, without counting a year of eligibility against the redshirts—and don’t count the win in the final playoff considerations. If by some miracle the SEC teams lose, count that.
Those preseason polls
AP’s preseason Top 10 was: Florida State, Alabama, Oregon, OU, Ohio St., Auburn, UCLA, Michigan St., South Carolina, Baylor.
One through three remain, this week and in exactly that order: 1) Florida State, 2) 'Bama, 3)Oregon.
Worst preseason Top 25 picks: North Carolina, Notre Dame, Texas, Texas A&M. UNC is a basketball school, remember? Notre Dame started strong, as they always do, and are now fading fast, as they always do. Texas has been shaky but has won three in a row. True test will be Thanksgiving night against TCU. Texas A&M, post-Manziel, is just another terrier in the pack of SEC West big dogs.
Best Conference: The Big 12
Everybody plays everybody, one true champion, no meaningless playoff, no running up scores on jellyfish late in the season.
The Little MAC
Attendance at Tuesday’s Umass/Akron contest (Nov.18) was 5,571. A crowd of 15,118 attended the Northern Illinois/Ohio game. Both games were aired by ESPN. Last week average attendance at the four MAC games that ESPN aired on Tuesday and Wednesday nights was 11,899.
High school games get bigger crowds and better ratings on their radio broadcasts. And the mid-majors complain when they’re not included in the playoff discussion.
One of DDTs platform items has been—for years—that the entire MAC, Sunbelt, many of the teams in the Mountain West, Conference USA and the American Athletic conferences, as well as the service academies, should drop back to DivTwo. They'd be on a more level playing field. Then if they want to play the bigs occasionally for a payday, let them. They’ll have a better chance than pee wees like Western Carolina of winning a game, now and again.
And what are schools like Texas State, UTSA, Georgia State, Old Dominion and Appalachain State thinking about by joining DivOne? They’ll disappear.
But if all of the above insist on staying in DivOne, there should be a Tier Two playoff so that the better mids in a given year would have a chance to shine. This year Colorado State, Marshall, Boise State and Northern Illinois are getting some love from the ratings but have no chance at playoff gold. Give them their own playoff.
Asterisk: Some teams who haven’t feared the Longhorn this year would include BYU, UCLA, Baylor, OU and KState.
Coaching carousel
First casualty was Charlie Weis at KU. Most recent, Will Muschamp at Florida. Next up, Brady Hoke at Michigan, and, probably, Bob Davie at New Mexico.
Weis had to go. No improvement at Lawrence in two years. But KU is a basketball school, remember?
It’s a fast-gun biz: Turner Gill at KU, two years, not enough wins—fired. Gill could have been what Kevin Sumlin has been at TAMU and Charlie Strong is apparently becoming in Austin, but KU’s admin had no patience. John Embry at Colorado, two years, not enough wins—see ya. Ellis Johnson at Southern Miss, one year, no wins—gone. Now Muschamp bites the bullet, and who will replace him?
DDT predicts that Mississippi State will sweeten Dan Mullen’s contract to keep him in Starksville. Bob Stoops and Charlie Strong, former Florida assistants, have said they’re not interested. RichRod’s name has come up, but DDT predicts that AZ will find a way to keep him in Tucson. The Rod has always been good press, but, like Mike Leach at Wazoo, frequently for the wrong reasons.
Will Steve Spurrier go back to The Swamp in a return of a prodigal or resurrection of the ol’ Ball Coach as Messiah to the Gator Nation? Unlikely.
How about Mack Brown. Muschamp was Brown’s “coach in waiting” at Texas but, as DDT correctly postulated, Muschamp was never destined to be head coach in Austin. So, in an ironic twist of fate, Brown takes the Florida job on a short-term contract, grooms a coordinator, Florida moves on, wins again ... someday.
Mack to Gainesville?Pastry Month
The SEC, more than any other conference, indulges in shameless bullying of DivTwo puff pastry, most of it during the last month of the season: Alabama/Western Carolina; Auburn/Samford; Olay Miss/Presbyterian; Georgia/Charleston Southern; Mississippi State/UT-Martin; Florida/Eastern Kentucky.
Justice must be done, make it fair. Spot the DivTwo squads three TDs, don’t let the SEC powers play their first team—make them play their scrubs, even their redshirts, without counting a year of eligibility against the redshirts—and don’t count the win in the final playoff considerations. If by some miracle the SEC teams lose, count that.
Those preseason polls
AP’s preseason Top 10 was: Florida State, Alabama, Oregon, OU, Ohio St., Auburn, UCLA, Michigan St., South Carolina, Baylor.
One through three remain, this week and in exactly that order: 1) Florida State, 2) 'Bama, 3)Oregon.
Worst preseason Top 25 picks: North Carolina, Notre Dame, Texas, Texas A&M. UNC is a basketball school, remember? Notre Dame started strong, as they always do, and are now fading fast, as they always do. Texas has been shaky but has won three in a row. True test will be Thanksgiving night against TCU. Texas A&M, post-Manziel, is just another terrier in the pack of SEC West big dogs.
Best Conference: The Big 12
Everybody plays everybody, one true champion, no meaningless playoff, no running up scores on jellyfish late in the season.
The Little MAC
Attendance at Tuesday’s Umass/Akron contest (Nov.18) was 5,571. A crowd of 15,118 attended the Northern Illinois/Ohio game. Both games were aired by ESPN. Last week average attendance at the four MAC games that ESPN aired on Tuesday and Wednesday nights was 11,899.
High school games get bigger crowds and better ratings on their radio broadcasts. And the mid-majors complain when they’re not included in the playoff discussion.
One of DDTs platform items has been—for years—that the entire MAC, Sunbelt, many of the teams in the Mountain West, Conference USA and the American Athletic conferences, as well as the service academies, should drop back to DivTwo. They'd be on a more level playing field. Then if they want to play the bigs occasionally for a payday, let them. They’ll have a better chance than pee wees like Western Carolina of winning a game, now and again.
And what are schools like Texas State, UTSA, Georgia State, Old Dominion and Appalachain State thinking about by joining DivOne? They’ll disappear.
But if all of the above insist on staying in DivOne, there should be a Tier Two playoff so that the better mids in a given year would have a chance to shine. This year Colorado State, Marshall, Boise State and Northern Illinois are getting some love from the ratings but have no chance at playoff gold. Give them their own playoff.
No comments:
Post a Comment