Is it just me...

or is it kind of awesome that Obama wants college football play-offs? YES, PLEASE!!!!!

Go vote today!!! (for Obama!) :)

Blurg...

(Cue the "strike out trumpets"--whont whont whonnnn.--is that the right onomatopoeia for that? Also, bonus for remembering how to SPELL that!) :)

Welp. I should be on here to eat crow...however I will not. I will not because I am not only a cocky Longhorn, but I've lived in Austin all my life and I pretty much, like most native Austinites, know I'm better than you, so...there you have it.

Now! Is this elephant walk VOW of silence over? Because, on the half-full side of the glass, we're done with our hard teams and it's just beginning to get exciting!

Talk about picking yourself up, dusting yourself off and starting over again...HOOK 'EM!

WE ARE TEXAS.

Also, I think we ALL need to be proud to be part of the greatest football conference to ever live, THE BIG 12!!!

DANG

that was an awesome game... except for the first half and the last 1:28.

doon't fear, LONGHORNS. there is still hope. if tech loses a game and ou or osu win out, we are in the big 12 title game. i will be in whatever color orange osu wears this weekend, but it will be really hard to root for ou.

CORSO KNOWS BEST!

Wittle Colty

IN COLTY WE TRUST

• From here on out the month of October will known in the Gregorian calendar as Coltober. The Eras shall be named the same, BC (Before Colt) and AD (Anno Domini - The year of our Colt), however they will now be adjusted to reflect the year of Colt's birth. Today's date: Coltober 29, 22 AD.
• When Colt McCoy was born the Hatfield's surrendered.
• Everything is bigger in Colt McCoy!
• Colt McCoy dug the Red River with his bare hands to keep the riffraff out of the "Republic."
• If Colt McCoy had been in San Antonio in 1836 there would be no Alamo.
• Colt McCoy has not only solved every PuzzleCap on the caps of Lone Star beer, but he has also created the last 114 riddles.
• Chuck Norris and Mr. T's fists collided once in the mid 80's, resulting in the birth of Colt McCoy.
• On the second weekend of Coltober, from here on out, the Oklahoma Sooners will walk from Norman, Oklahoma to Hobbs, New Mexico, the birthplace of our Colt, and then sprint to Dallas for the Red River Shootout. Any Sooner starter who cannot cover the distance in the same time it takes Colt himself to cover it (one hour, 12 minutes, 12 seconds) will be benched.
• The draft from Colt's passing arm has been the cause of two of every three trailer destroying tornadoes that have torn through Norman. With his other arm he writes novels and signs treaties.
• Colt McCoy put the Bock in Shiner.
• Texas Toast was Colt McCoy's creation.
• Colt McCoy convinced the Aggies that the thumbs up sign means Gig em'.
• It was Colt McCoy's decision to declare Tim Tebow "The Chosen One".
• "Don't Mess with Texas!" were Colt's first words.
• Colt McCoy's sweat cures gout, crohn's disease, avian flu, and the children of Indonesia, saving Tim Tebow's Cancun spring break plans.
• At Whataburger the sandwiches are now referred to as the Coltburger and the Bradfordchicken.
• Colt McCoy wasn't named after the gun, the Colt .45 was modeled after his arm.
• Colt McCoy created Lubbock to place the prisoners of the "Republic of Texas." He left one pirate crazed coach and another who loves chair throwing to run the asylum.
• Fiesta Bowl is Spanish for Colt McCoy which is why the Oklahoma Sooners are destined to lose every time they play in University of Phoenix Stadium.
• Colt McCoy knows how to find and capture Osama Bin Laden.
• Colt McCoy is the reason a bridge in Alaska goes to nowhere.
• Colt tried out for the Olympic track & field team, but was disqualified because he threw the shot-put ball out of the stadium. Not having a tape measure long enough to measure his throw he could not qualify. Upset, he then took a second shot-put ball and threw an out route to himself spiking the ball on the judge's foot. He then crumbled pieces of the earth in his hands and made his own gold medal that read "There Can Only Be One."

Indeed there can be only one Colt McCoy.

The Alchemist

Come On, You Know It's True

we're less than two weeks away from what, to me at least, was the reason this blog was created: UT v tech. so i really just have one question for the techies: WTF?

where are you guys? you had such high hopes for the season. you're still undefeated. your in the top ten in all polls. i don't get it.

actually, i do get it. after all the big talk and excitement you've realized that you have no chance to beat texas, win the big 12 or play for a national title. you're looking at the next four games thinking "are we really about to lose four straight?" the answer: probably.

good luck holding kansas under 50

same goes for the pokes

have fun with ou

oh, and i don't even need to mention TEXAS. i bet you're losing sleep.

baylor will be like a breath of fresh air; or any air at all after having the life sucked out of you for four weeks. but you'll probably lose to them too.

hey, at least you'll still have mike leach. even i love that guy.

what i'm really trying to say is that i miss the old you's, tech fans. the cocky preseason you's. bring back the shit talk. someone write predicitons and pick TEXAS to lose. at least that was something.

I'M BEGGING YOU:

GIVE ME A REASON TO CARE ABOUT THIS GAME AND THIS BLOG!

Just sayin'

chase daniels eats boogers. "You Tube" it.

for reals.

i've been drinking since 3.

we're STILL #1.

eat that & your classiness issues.

Fingers crossed

Okay...so this is the big game. THE determining factor on the rest of the season. If we can overcome this, we're in it to win it. Tech...you have NO idea what you've got coming. NONE.

I hold hope that we will beat OU. I hate OU. OU SUCKS. But, I'll let our friend tell you about that (thanks to Beau for the video):



And...this...GOD I love this picture. (and making children cry):





LOCK AND LOAD, BITCHES.

Yet Another Weekend...Yet Another Aggie F@ck Up

A&M...ahem.

You are a colossal failure and should be forcefully banished from participation in the Big 12.

I do not like you.

RAIDERhorn Weekend in Review

Well, after a little bit of a layoff -- thanks to Hurricane Ike and...uhh...laziness -- the weekend review is back in full effect. And just in the nick of time, I might add, as conference play has gotten under way. And there are a couple of big games on the horizon.

Oklahoma
Oklahoma, having moved to #1 after losses by USC and Georgia, went into Waco and beat up on the hapless Bears. Which is what a #1 team should do. Sam Bradford is continuing to develop, hoping to one day follow in former Oklahoma QB Jason White's footsteps by winning the Heisman trophy then parlaying his success into a memorabilia store and an Athlete's Foot.

Ranking (via Sports Illustrated*)
Last week: 1
This week: 1

Texas
In what could have very easily been a trap game, the Longhorns strolled into Boulder and totally buzz-killed the CU student section. They simply stood there, dazed, with eyes as big as rabbits' while Widdle Coltie wreaked havoc. How can we take any school seriously that has an annual 4/20 Smokeout attended by 10,000 people. I think this quote sums it up nicely...

"You guys need to go stand on those stairs," one girl shouted to her friends, who were seated in a circle on the quadrangle grass. "You don't even understand."

Ranking
Last week: 4
This week: 4

Texas Tech
Well, Texas Tech finally faced some decent competition this past weekend, and in typical Tech fashion, we went out there and...wait, what? We won? What?! We killed them?!

That's right, Big XII. Texas Tech, your favorite goofball younger brother who shows tons of potential but can't help shooting himself in the foot is finally pulling himself up by his bootstraps, tucking in his shirt, combing his hair and showing the family what he's made of. Tech went into Manhattan and scored 58 points on Kansas State. Granted, this is not the Kansas State of ten years ago (or even five years ago), but it's still a Big XII road game, and those are never easy.

Graham Harrell threw for 454 yards and six touchdowns and now owns the Tech career passing yards record (formerly owned by Kliff Kingsbury, who currently works as a gardener, I believe). This week, Hair-tree welcomes another "former Big XII North juggernaut turned also-ran" in Nebraska.

(side note: I don't want to get ahead of myself here, but week 10 -- the week that Tech plays Texas -- really only has one other notable game on the schedule in Florida vs. Georgia. Granted, that's a big one, but....still. Might College Gameday finally come to Lubbock?! Fingers crossed).

Ranking
Last week: 9
This week: 11

Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State has steadily climbed in the rankings thanks to a fast start (5-0) and an exciting offense. This past weekend they beat the pants off of A&M. Unfortunately, their hot start probably comes to an end this weekend in Columbia. The game won't be close, but the schools can play "who has the wealthier superfan!"


(side note: Unfortunately, that's not even close. T. Boone Pickens is only the 131st richest person in America with a piddly $3.1 billion. Warren Buffett is #2. And he's worth $50 billion. Good gravy. At least T. Boone is trying to save the planet.)

Ranking
Last week: 17
This week: 22

Baylor
You might have noticed a little shuffle here. Usually I put these teams in order, based on their Sports Illustrated ranking. Have we missed someone? Anybody? Everyone accounted for? Oh wait! Baylor is ranked higher than A&M this week!*

Last week Baylor got destroyed by OU. This week they've got a shot at redemption against their Big XII North counterpart Iowa State. Freshman Robert Griffin is good.

Ranking
Last week: 66
This week: 76

* I wrote this before the updated extended rankings were posted on Sports Illustrated's website, and even though A&M is technically ahead of Baylor this week, they weren't last week. So. I'm gonna go ahead and leave it be. You have to earn that 5-spot back, A&M!

Texas A&M
A&M has become a bit of an afterthought in the Big XII South, haven't they? After all the fuss about Stephen McGee and Mike Goodson and J-Lane the Gravy Train, they've gone out and piled up two whole wins! Against New Mexico and Army! Congratulations!

This week they get K-State. Considering the disdain Red Raiders have for Aggies (why won't you admit you hate us?!), this should be a pretty sweet measuring stick to see how far the mighty have fallen. We beat the Wildcats by 30 on the road. Let's see how you handle them at home.

Ranking
Last week: 69
This week: 73

This week’s games:
No games of note this weekend.

Oklahoma (-7) vs. Texas at the Cotton Bowl -- Dallas, TX
Kansas State (-3.5) at Texas A&M
Nebraska at Texas Tech (-21)
Iowa State at Baylor (-5)
Oklahoma State at Missouri (-14)


* Again, I’m using the Sports Illustrated rankings because they’re the only ones who rank all 119 teams each week. Rankings for teams outside the top 25 coming soon (as soon as they're available).

Another Weekend. . . Another Aggie F@&k Up. . .

I knew this season was going to be rough. . . but geez! I mean the wins even feel like losses. . .

WTF?

It is unfortunate none of us will see the awesome ass kicking comeback when we beat the hell outta osu!

I'm just putting it out there. . .

HA HA...USC got beat.

I'm SURE that if anyone who really pays attention to college football actually posted on here, you would have soemthing much more foot-bally to say, but since it's me/the biggest homer around, I'm doing it...since you all are the biggest slackers I know!

IT IS SO AWESOME THAT USC GOT BEAT BY AN UNRANKED TEAM.

I heard on the CNN this morn that they "have zero chance of winning a national championship now."

Of course, I read that as...."SO THE HORNS CAN WIN ONE AGAIN."

HAH! Bitches.

raiderHORN: THE NEW MISSION

my new goal for raiderHORN is that it be a tool in the fight against world hunger. the strategy is to lower the reckless waste of food in america by converting bulimics into anorexics.

who's in?

no one?

okay.

i guess i can finish up on my thoughts from the weekend, not that any of you sons of bitches read this thing anymore.

some really good things happened at ody's while cappy and i were watching the game. for one, we got to witness a really hideous affair. it pretty much changed my view of what cheating in america truly looks like. cheating is ugly. especially in salinas, california. watching this man grope at handfuls of his luva's fat rolls while she downed corona after corona and professed her love for said man, who i believe was a friend of her husband's, was truly terrifying. and hilarious. they were ugly, they were dumb and they were oblivious to how uncomfortable they were making the rest of us.

another great thing involved shaggy. lot's of shaggy. earlier that day cappy and i were cruising 17 mile drive in the tourist mobile with the top down and complaining about the lack of radio stations in the area. it was really bad. when we popped out in monterey i told her that there were only 2 records in the world that i wanted to be listening to at that moment: 'satellite rides' by the old 97s and shaggy's greatest hits. fast forward to 10:48 left in the second quarter and boom!: sweet, sweet music to my ears. it was the intro to the greatest shaggy song ever, "it wasn't me." so just as i'm realizing that i'm being treated to a 3 minute 43 second long eargasm, i see a WIDE OPEN jordan shipley receive a 30 yard td pass from little colty. it was like being blown my a care bear in mid stare. so nice. and then, for the next 2 hours, the shaggy mix (with a few additions) played on repeat. it was perfect.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR4PGt9oOto

then we had to watch blaine irby's knee turn inside out:




that made me sad.

then we met a man named wayne. wayne is a retiree from phoenix who had to come to the bar for white wine because the guy he was staying with is a pretentious prick who won't let anybody drink white wine. so we talked and wayne bought us shots and we will remember him forever.

we also met a bartender who was really rich and did internet pilates (porn) and spoke like an idiot. we liked her too.

as for the game: it was solid. colt was 19-23 with 4 in the air and one on the ground. they gave up 17 rushing yards and were scored on in the second half for the first time all season. the 301 in the air given up was a problem, but stopping rice on 11 straight downs from the 2 was pretty amazing. i have confidence in these boys.

raiderHORN, your time was too short

is it ike? is that why there hasn't been a post in over a week? robert, i mean raiderHORN, do you have power? and what about matt's da'anus? no picks. no insight-less, mind numbing, pre-football weekend choosings?

i know i haven't done my share, but i suck at this stuff. i lost my ability to freestyle when i lost my will to find new employment and gave myself over to the darkside of flash games and hulu. but, since no one else will do it, here's a weekend recap:

the ol' captain and i went to california to live like the 10% and to celebrate my 30th birthday and, consequently, the loss of any sexual prowess i might have remaining. (not really, this instrument's got a lot sweeter with age... and viagra... tell'em, cap) i'd love to go into detail about the accommodations (wow), the views (super-wow), the meals (pretty damn wow) or the fact that it's the wednesday after and i don't even feel like it really happened (shit), but the only part that matters on this here blog is the game time experience.

we were faked out by the fox channel in the hotel that led us to believe that the game would be on in our room at 4pm. cap went down for a power nap around 3pm and i settled in with a stiffy (drink) and waited out the hour or so before kick off with a couple inconsequential football matches and highlights. when 4pm rolled around, much to our dismay, the fox sports channel was showing an infomercial involving a magic book that could heal all wounds. no, not the bible. some book full of home remedies for everything from diabetes to erectile dysfunction.

SHIT!

where the hell do you find a sports bar in a stuffy, yuppy haven like carmel?

i went down and asked the lady at the front desk who seemed disgusted that i would even ask such a question. as she gave me a list of places that "might" have tvs (she wouldn't know because she would never!) she told me a quick little tale of when arnold palmer came to the hotel bar to watch the masters and they went out and bought a tv for the bar so he could watch it. (why wasn't arnold at the masters? you might ask... he's an idiot)

it turned out the first place on the list, ody's, was perfect. there were four people in the bar, none of them watching tv, they had satellite, and the bartender handed the remote over so i could find the game. yeah! 3-7, texas. yeah!

bartender! couple of drinks!

here's how the rest of our game watching went...

"don't make eye contact."

ewwww!

oh shit. i'm going to throw up.

"like, totally."

"thanks, wayne."

and a lot of me hollering for the horns in between.

it's after 5pm and i need to go home. i'll explain the rest tomorrow.

MY weekend recap....

Without the Horns on, I watched waaaaay too much football. Michigan SUCKS--So much this year, it's sad! I watched this poor guy throw an interception for a TD, then, they fumbled the ball on the next play. So sad to be a Wolverine. I hope I don't speak too soon in saying, "How the mighty have fallen."Notre Dame sucks too.

USC...fuckin' USC. I bet it's awesome to be a USC fan. Which, makes it more awesome when you beat them. AND! They by far have the best looking cheerleaders. And best uniforms. (UT cheerleaders are notoriously hideous, why is that?)

Oh, and my dear techies...you looked good against SMU, but it was SMU. I'm no longer really worried.

Just sayin'. :)

We'll likely miss the Rice game due to travel.

You know, "The REAL Harvard of the South" according to you bitter, glorified-high-school-graduates...(AHEM. TECH TARDS) Which, just so you know, I looked online--because the INTERNET never lies to you-- and among the schools that claim this are as follows: UT, Rice, SMU, Tulane, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Hampden-Sydney College, annnnd, there's even a citation that A&M is the engineering Harvard of the South. So. There you have it. That is the end of that discussion for me.

Also, the "Harvard of the South" expression can apparently be used as an unexpected hyberbole and oxymoron. (ex: Belle of Afghanistan) But, that's clearly some uppity Yankee shit.

(before we leave, I'll post about some dumb ol' Owls)

Winner winner, chicken dinner -- with Mattradamus

Update: the UT/Arkansas game has been moved to September 27th, due to Hurricane Ike.

Week 2 proved to be much more successful than week 1. After a 4-3 start, I came back strong with a 7-0 week. I plan on having an unblemished record again this week. Texas A&M gets an early season bye week, which is about the only way I would have not predicted them to lose. The rest of the Big XII South is in action and the National Game of the week is Ohio St @ USC. Here we go….

Washington St @ Baylor
Baylor pounded a D2 foe last week moving to 1-1 and Washington St was pounded by Cal 66-3 to start their season 0-2.

Why WSU can win:
They're due? I don’t know how to justify saying WSU can win this game. They are in the bottom ten teams in the country in every major offensive category including Points Per Game, where they are 3rd to last, ranking 117th out of 119 teams. There is a 40% chance of rain on Saturday -- maybe Baylor will be Baylor and be awful and find ways to cough the ball up and the WSU defense will put some points on the board.

Why Baylor can win:
I predicted a coming out party for Robert Griffin last week and he didn’t disappoint with 294 yds passing and 3 touchdowns. He will slowly but surely bring in more and more fans on a weekly basis, and this will be the week he can prove he can do it against D1 competition. WSU couldn’t handle the spread offense that Cal and Oklahoma St threw at them, so I don’t believe they will be able to handle Baylor's.

Final prediction and analysis:
Baylor comes out firing on all cylinders and lays the smack down on WSU. After this game, Robert Griffin will be a National name and put himself up there as the front runner for Freshman of the year. Too much fire power for Washington St to handle, but then again a match would spark too much fire for this defense to contain.

Washington St. 10, Baylor 35

Oklahoma @ Washington
Oklahoma and their high octane offense were too much for Cincinnati last week pushing their record to 2-0 and Washington lost in a very controversial game to #15 BYU dropping their record to 0-2.

Why can OU win:
They ran the no huddle offense last week to perfection against Cincinnati and with playmakers such as Bradford, Murray, Grisham, Iglesias and Johnson on the offensive side of the ball they may have the best offense in the country. Defensively they are good at knocking out the other team's QB, including breaking the right leg of the Cincy’s Dan Grutzka last week. If they continue the trend of cheating and playing dirty they will knock Jake Locker out of the game and Washington would stand absolutely no shot of winning this game.

Why can Washington win:
They played a very good BYU team very tough last week and also got experience against another top 25 team in week 1 against Oregon. They won’t be intimidated going into the game. Jake Locker is a capable of throwing and running the football and seems to be that QB who can will his team to a victory. Defensively they were able to limit BYU’s spread offense which is very similar to what OU will bring to the table. Washington is also a team that plays very well at home.

Final prediction and analysis:
Washington’s best friend on Saturday may be the weather. If they can get a typical rainy afternoon that they are used to, this could really slow down the OU offensive machine. In normal conditions OU is just too much. Jake Locker will play hard and make some plays, but his offensive teammates won’t be able to make enough to keep this game close. OU, much like OSU did to start the season, will travel to Seattle and knock off a Pac 10 team.

Oklahoma 49, Washington 17

Missouri St @ Oklahoma St
OSU put on a show last week against a pretty good Houston team with a big time offensive outburst helping them improve to 2-0, while the Bears of Missouri St. lost to the football giant that is Washburn University in a high scoring game leaving them at 0-1.

Why can Missouri St win:
Did you guys see or hear what that bear did to Timothy Treadwell? Bears are ferocious animals. I love watching Bears hunt for salmon, they are also a lot of fun to watch mating. I mean, fighting, yeah fighting. Unfortunately the thing that will stop a bear in its tracks is a gun and Cowboys typically have 2 of them. Interesting side note, Missouri St was the only school other than Texas Tech that I applied to (at the time it was Southwest Missouri St).

Why can Oklahoma St win:
Did you see what they did against a good Houston team? They hung 50+ on the board and made Dez Bryant a household name overnight at WR as he had a couple TD’s and just shy of 250 receiving yards. Hunter and Toston, the RBs who get almost all the carries, are averaging 7 and 8 yards per carry. I’m not sure what is in the water in Oklahoma, other than the blood of many defenseless Native Americans, but OSU and OU may have the top two offenses in the country in my opinion. Who needs a defense when you can put up 40+ on your opponents?

Final prediction and analysis:
Oklahoma State's playmakers will play a half and then let their backups come in and get some game experience. This game is going to be ugly and the Bears will be poached. Not poached as in an egg, but MURDERED.

Missouri St 11, Oklahoma St 71

Arkansas @ Texas (UPSET ALERT)
The ‘Hogs, aka Razorbacks, come into Austin after two close victories against small schools, but wins nonetheless. Texas thumped the Miners of UTEP last week.

Why can Arkansas win:
Even though they have narrowly squeaked by in their first two games, their offense hasn’t been an issue. They are 28th in the nation (higher than UT overall) and 10th passing. The level of competition hasn’t been much too really get enthused about up to this point and I think you will see a different football team come out against UT. Going into the year they had what many would consider top 5 offensive and defensive line units. They haven’t quite lived up to that at this point, but only time will tell. This could be the game where you see that dominance. UT has allowed several yards to schools far inferior to the talent that Arkansas has on its roster, so the ‘Hogs should be able to move the ball on this former SWC rival.

Why can Texas win:
Colt McCoy has played as well as anyone in the country the last two weeks and shows no signs of slowing down. Nobody else really stands out over the last two weeks, which is a good thing, meaning the team is well balanced and you can’t really concentrate on trying to take any one person out of the game. UT plays great at home and will be ready to take on a team that during the Matt Jones era, they feared. Lucky for them Matt Jones is now only snorting cocaine in Fayetteville and not playing QB.

Final prediction and analysis:
I have a hard time believing that Arkansas is as bad as the scoreboard has indicated in their first 2 games. I also have a hard time believing UT is as good as the scoreboard has indicated in their first 2 games. Arkansas will be able to move the ball on the Longhorns throughout the game, but will they be able to get in the endzone more than a couple of times? Texas has moved the ball with relative ease in their first games, but they weren’t lining up against the size and speed that Arkansas will bring to the table. I know for a fact this is the game Arkansas has had in their minds since the schedule was released and I have a strong feeling you are going to see them come out with much more intensity and enthusiasm than they have in recent weeks. I think UT, being UT, will be overconfident coming into the game after their blowout victories and seeing Arkansas' narrow victories. If you are a Longhorn, prepare to get bent over and take the long stroke from Casey Dick as he carves up your defense (and your colon) and puts pressure on your offense to return the favor. Will they do it?

Arkansas 28, UT 27 (goodbye top 10 ranking, time to begin the slide to the middle of the Big XII South pack)

SMU @ Texas Tech
Texas Tech, despite a piss poor game from Graham Harrell (dropping him from all Heisman talk) managed to beat a very good Nevada team in Reno and go to 2-0 last week. SMU bounced back after a week 1 defeat to beat Texas St. last week and even their record at 1-1. Look out for Nevada playing Missouri very tough this weekend.

Why SMU can win:
Sorry Ponies, but you have no shot. You gave up over 30 points to a team that a D2 school held to 20 points the week prior. You are a white belt in the spread offense while Tech is the blackest of all black belts in the offense. Despite their really cool billboards around Dallas, they will be Kimbo Sliced and leave Lubbock wishing they were good enough to play for the Red Raiders. (FYI: the aforementioned billboard has a gigantic calendar on it and it is on the month of June, the copy on the billboard reads, “June isn’t just a month on the calendar anymore, it is the beginning of an era!” This is of course in reference to new head coach June Jones.)

Why Tech can win:
They still haven’t put together a solid offensive game yet! Harrell was awful last week and week 1 was a lot of yardage, but not enough points via the passing game. The best cure for the Nevada game hangover that Harrell has had all week, is a pathetic Pony defense. I think you will see both Harrell and Crabtree regain the form that had them mentioned in the Heisman race at the beginning of the season. If the starters played the whole game, I could see Tech hanging 100 points on the board and Harrell throwing for 700 yards.

Final analysis and prediction:
Unlike in years past when the UNTs and SMUs have actually played us tough here and there, this game will not be the case. Give SMU a few years and I truly believe they will be a good team and will actually steal some recruits from Tech (Dallas vs Lubbock, no brainer), but that is four years down the road. I think the Texas Tech offense is ready to get the ball rolling and you are going to see numbers that will blow your mind Chris Angel style. If you go to the game, please be on the lookout for African Americans sprinting through the streets of Lubbock waving their hands in the air as a result of the disbelief an offense could look so great and numbers go so high. Hair-tree will be back on the Heisman map after their unbelievable games. Look for Texas Tech SS Daniel Charbonaut to get in the end zone with a defensive score.

SMU 21, Texas Tech 71

National Game of the Week:

Ohio St @ USC
Ohio St is coming off a less than stellar game against Ohio which ran it’s record to 2-0 while USC got a break last week after creaming a pretty good Virginia team 56-7 to start the season.

Why can Ohio St win:
Ohio St returns almost in full a team that played for the National Title last season. They bring back an experienced QB in Todd Boeckman, Heisman front runner Chris “Beanie” Wells, Butkus award winner and future top 10 pick, James Laurinaitis, as well as several other players who will be making a living playing on Sundays. Ohio St also brings to the table an overall size advantage in this match up. USC also had a bye week last week which may hurt their rhythm and timing.

Why can USC win:
I’m not sure if this is more of what they can do or more what Ohio St hasn’t been able to do for years against the upper echelon of college football. First, let’s look at what they can do -- they have more athletic ability and more skill players than any team in the nation on both sides of the ball. They have 2 future NFL RBs in CJ Gable and Joe McKnight, some tall fast WR’s and a QB with some big game experience from last year in Mark Sanchez. Sanchez brings the deep ball back to The Coliseum for the first time since the Carson Palmer days after noodle-armed Matt Leinart and John David Booty relied on the short to intermediate ranged passing game. Defensively they have the best back 7 in the country. Brian Cushing and Ray Maualuga may be the best 2 LBs in the nation and future Top 10 NFL draft pick Taylor Mays is roaming the secondary at safety. On top of all this talent and perhaps the best coach in the country in Pete Carroll, they also have to their advantage the fact that Ohio St CAN’T BEAT ANYONE OF NATIONAL RELEVANCE.

Final prediction and analysis:
I thought this was going to be a good game until I saw what Ohio St looked like last week without Beanie Wells. If he isn’t healthy, I don’t think they stand a chance. If he is 100%, I think it will be a ball game. I really think that OSU had their scare last week and were looking forward to this game to show the world they aren’t the same team this year that was embarrassed by SEC schools in the National Championship game the past two years. The reason Wells didn’t play was to rest for this game, he should be ready to go at 100%. With a chip on their shoulder I think they will come out and really control the tempo of this game. USC’s inexperience will show come the second half when they want to speed up the pace and start trying to force the action. This could lead to some HUGE turnovers. I think two things will determine this game. Which QB can maintain their composure and which team will set the tempo early. With that said, give me Boeckman after playing in a National Championship game last year and some big Big Ten games last year over Sanchez, and give me the ball control Ohio St running game with a healthy Beanie Wells over the big play USC offense. I will actually be disappointed if this happens, but this is how I feel it will go down.

Ohio St. 23, USC 20

With the win, OSU all but guarantees themselves -- barring a collapse in conference play -- a chance to play for the National Title.

What in the world is going on with Vince Young?

Might the Golden Boy of Austin follow in the footsteps of other highly-drafted UT flame-outs like Ricky Williams and Cedric Benson? Only time will tell. From the Tennessean...

The Titans probably will have to wait to see Vince Young on the field again, although exactly how long isn't certain. An MRI on his left knee had to be postponed until today, the team said Monday...

Coach Jeff Fisher spoke as much Monday about Young's maturity issues as his injury. The quarterback appeared reluctant to re-enter the game after throwing a second interception and being booed by the home crowd. He sat on the bench alone at one point and brushed off teammates and coaches attempting to console him. When he went back in, he suffered the knee injury a few plays later. "He definitely needs to work through some things, there is no doubt about that,'' Fisher said. "This is not the first time he has been frustrated or he has shown frustration outwardly on the sideline. But he tends to bounce back. He is very competitive. He has a tremendous sense of pride and he doesn't like to make mistakes. I don't necessarily want to see the other side of it, where you have this false chatter and false enthusiasm on the sideline either.''

No big deal. Something every young QB deals with at some point, right? But then there was this bizarre report from ESPN...

Nashville police were asked to search for Vince Young on Monday evening after family members placed a call to the Tennessee Titans informing them of their concern for the quarterback's state of mind.

According to Nashville Metro Police spokesman Don Aaron, Young "abruptly" left his home in Williamson County at around 7 p.m. Monday without his cell phone. Those with him at his home, including family members, were "concerned with his emotional well-being," Aaron said.

Police issued a bulletin to all on-duty officers to be on the lookout for Young and negotiators were also placed on standby, a procedure that is common in such situations, Aaron said. Someone contacted Fisher out of concern for Young, and Fisher contacted the police department, police said. "Not having all the facts available to us and approaching the matter prudently, we contacted Metro Police to make them aware of the situation and asked for their assistance in locating Vince," the Titans said in a statement Tuesday. "He was located at a friend's house, where we made contact with him. "He then came to the practice facility, where it was determined that those initial concerns by his friends and family were unfounded and he returned home without incident," the Titans said. Young left the facility by himself in his own vehicle after speaking with Fisher and officers, police said. Details were first reported on the Web site of WKRN-TV in Nashville, an ABC affiliate. Aaron said there was an unloaded hand gun in the glove compartment of Young's vehicle. But as it is not against the law in Tennessee to transport an unloaded firearm with no ammunition present, it was not an issue for the police department, he said. He could not say if the gun was registered because it was not traced.

It's probably much ado (excuse me, adieu) about nothing, but still. Strange.

Weekend in Review

Welcome to week two of the weekend in review. Let's get to it...

Oklahoma
As I mentioned last week, OU faced a Cincinnati team that went 10-3 last year in the Big East. And as predicted, OU beat the hell out of them. A new star emerged in Ryan Broyles, a Freshman receiver who caught seven passes for 141 yards and a touchdown. OU travels to Washington this week, who's 0-2 after an excessive celebration penalty led to an extra-long extra point which led to an extra-blocked extra point that led to a lot of whimpering Huskies.

Ranking (via Sports Illustrated*)
Last week: 2
This week: 2

Texas
Apparently I went to the wrong school. UTEP girls know how to watch football.

UT won, blahblahblah...This week they face Arkansas, which may be the most confusing and unbalanced team in the history of the game. Their offense is 116th in the NCAA (third to last) and their defense is 2nd (uhh...second to first). How is this possible? Have their games been a series of three-and-outs for four quarters?

It should be a good weekend in Austin. An old Southwest Conference rivalry is renewed and Hailey talks a lot of shit, getting Matt pummeled by a crowd of fed-up Longhorn fans.

Ranking
Last week: 10
This week: 8

Texas Tech
So we beat Nevada last week in a 35-19 stinker. My main concern is that our "much improved" defense still sucks, giving up 488 yards, including 224 on the ground. We've given up 426 yards a game over the first two, which is good for 97th in that category. Bang up job, Ruffin. Really.

To put that in perspective, the team above us in the AP poll, Alabama, is giving up 253 yards a game (good for 26th) and the team behind us in the AP poll, Kansas, is giving up 203 a game (good for 15th). Meanwhile, in terms of defensive rankings, we're sandwiched between Navy and Rice. Dynamite.

Well, I know what you're saying. "Tech is an offensive team anyway!" Which is true. We're 14th in overall offense so far. However. Graham Harrell (297 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT) completed a paltry 19 of his 46 passes against Nevada, which is awful considering our offense relies mostly on quick short routes. Apparently there were some NFL scouts in the stands, which may have given him the jitters? Okay Graham, congratulations, you've successfully murdered any chances of being drafted. Can you please start playing football now?

Now, I'm no mathematician, but a 14th ranked offense and a 97th ranked defense does not a #12 team make. This is typical though. We don't really start playing well until our chances of a breakthrough season have been shot to shit anyway. So just let's go ahead and squeak by SMU and UMass and lose to Kansas State so we can start playing again.

Ranking
Last week: 8
This week: 17

Oklahoma State
Another stellar prediction by Mattradamus (though he underestimated the Cowboys a bit), in a shootout against Houston. Their offense racked up 700 yards, which offset nicely the 483 their defense gave up. This week they take on the mighty Bears of Missouri State, a team that lost in a heartbreaker last week to powerhouse Washburn. I'll let Mattradamus do the predicting, but I'm gonna guess it won't be pretty.

Ranking
Last week: 45
This week: N/A

Texas A&M

I have to admit, I didn't watch one second of this game, so I'm gonna base my entire write-up here on the box score...

124 passing yards for Johnson (who?). Nine yards running for Goodson. Jeez, not much to work with here. Ah, the coach referred to the game as "raggedy." Way to instill confidence in your team, coach. Ugh. Let's move on...

So A&M got a win last week, which is a start. They've got the weekend off to lick their wounds and go to Northgate to get in fights and...uhh...fuck goats, or whatever you do in College Station. The following week, the U is coming to town. That's pretty exciting. Granted, they're not the U of old, but still. A&M could make a statement next week? I guess?

Miami lost 26-3 last week to Florida in a game that was apparently a lot closer than the score indicates. We'll see if they can ride the momentum of a close loss. Jeez, I'm having a hard time coming up with anything positive to say here. Moving on...

Ranking
Last week: 71
This week: N/A

Baylor
A nice win for Baylor pasting Northwestern State 51-6. I don't care who you're playing, that's a nice score. This week they welcome Washington State with a chance to prove...something. That they're better than we think? That Washington State stinks? Who knows.

Ranking
Last week: 89
This week: N/A

This week’s games:
A much heartier slate of games compared to last week, though the Big XII went 12-0 for the first time in its history. A couple notes here -- first off, how is UT favored by that much? I mean, they're better than Arkansas, but...I don't know. Old rivals? An SEC team? That seems a little high. Also, considering the first two games of the season, there's no way in hell Tech is gonna cover a 37 point spread against SMU. They couldn't outscore Lubbock Christian by 37 right now.

Oklahoma (-20) at Washington
Arkansas at Texas (-24)
SMU at Texas Tech (-37)
Missouri State at Oklahoma State (no line)
Texas A&M (off)
Washington State (-2.5) at Baylor

* Again, I’m using the Sports Illustrated rankings because they’re the only ones who rank all 119 teams each week. If you Longhorns can find another one, please share. Although, since you've jumped Tech, I'm assuming this poll is fine now. Rankings for teams outside the top 25 coming soon (as soon as they're available).

Eight is GRRREAT!

UT is now ranked #8...OU, #3, Tech, #12. (AP Poll)

Thoughts on all day football day? OU looked good to start, started to look sluggish--for like a second, annnd? Of course won. I think we have a chance. They are fast. And, they recover quickly. They are sometimes scary. But, I think we can hang in there...Ugh. OU! (sucks)

The A&M game? Well, I'm going to sum it for our Aggie contingency who reside in Austin. GOLF is more important than Aggie Football. Aggie Football got the boot for GOLF. Is there much left to say?

I watched the Tech game on the intranets--one the funniest things ever--it was like amateur porn, but for football. It was purchased for $9. This might give you access all season. For $9. It looked like the company bought 3 seats, 1 50 yd line and 2 in opposing end zones and then used some 3rd rate graphics to let you know it was 1st/2nd/3rd down. Awesome. Nevada advertisers on this thing...also awesome. It was like watching Texas Cable News high school highlights, with Reno advertisers. Tech, your boys looked like they hit the casinos and partied all night the night before the game. Knowing the Tech folks I know, of COURSE they did. The team looked like they were dragging.

I'm lazy, the game was SO late, here's the Statesman's highlight:

Final: Texas defeats UTEP, 42-13
Sunday, September 7, 2008, 12:51 AM

Texas survived a sloppy second half late Saturday and held on for a 42-13 win over a pesky Texas-El Paso squad at the Sun Bowl.

The Longhorns sealed the victory with 13 minutes to go in the fourth quarter. That’s when Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley connected on a 15-yard touchdown pass to give Texas a 35-13 lead.
It was McCoy’s fourth touchdown pass of the game.

Moments later, linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy returned a fumble 26 yards for a touchdown — the Longhorns’ first defensive score of the season.

A record crowd of 53,415 watched the 10th-ranked Longhorns record their second win of the season. Texas used the game to tune up for Arkansas, the Longhorns’ long-time rival from the Southwest Conference. The Hogs hit Austin next Saturday.

UTEP fell to 0-2.

4th quarter highlights (I wouldn't know, I was 1/2 asleep on the couch)

Texas put together an 80-yard drive at the end of the third quarter and beginning of the fourth, capped by Jordan Shipley’s 15-yard touchdown reception from Colt McCoy.

The Longhorns scored again on UTEP’s next play from scrimmage. Terrell Jackson caught a pass for UTEP, but Texas end Sam Acho knocked it loose and teammate Roddrick Muckelroy scooped it up and ran 26 yards into the end zone. It was Texas’ first defensive touchdown of the season.

Texas’ defense came up with a big stop on UTEP’s next drive. The Miners marched to the Texas 25 before Brian Orakpo came up with his second sack of the game, forcing UTEP to attempt a 52-yard field goal that sailed wide right.
--------------------------
'Bout sums it up.

HOOK 'EM!

(Horns) Musings...By The Captain

I don't have much to say about the UTEP Miners. We're supposed to win this. They got a spanking last week, from what I read, when they were thinking this was "their year...That's all I've got to say other than I look forward to watching--if I don't fall asleep before the damn 9:15 kickoff that is.

However, I'd like to muse a little on what could be considered one of the most die hard Longhorn fans ever (and dare I say even best? ugh. that hurt me to type), Matthew McConaughey. We, as Longhorns didn't ask for him, shit...even as Austinites we didn't ask for him. But, here he is. Bringing fame and attention to little ol' Austin, for all kinds of things.

I have to start by saying, I'm not his biggest fan by any means. Sure, he's got some shapely abdominal muscles-- of which we all get to see because he lives shirtless apparently- he was a great character in "Dazed & Confused," okay, okay, he's actually been an all-right actor in a few movies, just not any of late, girls like him, you know...he's got his appeal (to some). Okay, he won People's "Most Sexiest Man" in 2005, it's more than some.

But more importantly, he's just kind of annoying. I mean, he had almost as much spotlight during the National Championship as Vince Young and all he did was stand on the sidelines and put his "horns up" incorrectly. Which, UT alum across the nation rolled their eyes at (okay, so maybe it was just the 10 people I was with at the Posse, whatever).

So you know, the right way to give THE University's hand sign is palm away from you, if you face your palm towards you and it looks like you're "ROCKIN ROLL"-ing!!! (Yeeeaaah!)

In addition to his movies, he also had a VH1 TV show to promote "Sahara" (it's okay if you do not even remember this, it probably gives you a few more IQ points than me) where he coined the phrase, "J.K. Livin'."

According to his website, this is his "mantra and a state of mind." (deep, so very deep.)

If you are Matthew McConaughey, your life is so fast paced that you have to abbreviate even your catchphrases, like talking in text message, only he did this waaay before people texted. The "J.K." stands for "Just Keep." "JUST KEEP LIVIN."

Let's think about this for a minute. I mean, it's sorta profound. Extremely good advice. I have decided to expound on this idea: "JDD." "Just Don't Die." (same, right?)

He also now has a website. As long as I've been writing this, this terribly repetitive reggae music has been drifting through my office...wait! Already I feel more at one with everything, this is the McConaughey effect it seems. NOW I see why he is like he is, all naked and shit, to be ONE with it ALL.

Wait. No. I don't.

IF you can stand to get through the intro page, you'll see the rest of this, but to spare you, the summary:

First, you can enter "Easy" or "Real Easy." (This guy is so CHILL!) "Easy" takes you through one more page than "Real Easy," it's quite stupid, really. Then once you arrive, still, JAMMIN, MON! A slide show of McConaughey through the years plays all fancy-website-flash-style. Seriously, this guy's more obsessed with pictures of himself than Cory! (sorry, Cory, it was a softball.)

Other highlights are his bio, with my favorite character summary being the first line:

"Texan Matthew McConaughey was raised to "never lie" and to always "see the rose in the vase, not the dust on the table."

I mean, could he be more down to Earth? (I think he might want us to think that? Hmm.) He also, "prefers commas to periods in order to keep his life fluid." His inner peace kind of makes me want to force him to do some hardcore PCP and see just how long it takes him to tweak.

But, despite all of this, he really IS a good fan. He really loves his Longhorns. And Austin. So, we share that.

As an example, Mike & I saw "Tropic Thunder" this weekend and throughout it he wears a Texas Longhorn baseball cap. That's awesome. Why? Because you know the set design likely required him to don a baseball cap, and instead of some nondescript blue thing, he suggests his own wardrobe and supports his team. THAT'S good fanmenship. (I made up a word today!)

If only all we Longhorn Fans could be a little more like McConaughey.

(That was STILL hard to type, I may not be able to verbalize this, but I mean it.)

What if? Big XII vs. SEC

We'd like to introduce a new feature here on Raiderhorn called "What if?" In the spirit of SportsCenter -- which has gone from being an hour of highlights to an hour of rampant speculation -- we're going to look into our crystal ball, perhaps even into an alternate universe (ooOOoohh!!), and predict what might have been or what could be. How's that for a cryptic intro? Our first installment tackles the age-old question of conference strength. With a look at what would happen if the SEC and Big XII collided, here's Mattradamus...

For years there hasn’t been much debate as to which conference in college football is far and away above the rest of the pack -- the SEC. This year, however, with 10 returning starting QBs in the Big XII, including potential Heisman front runners Graham Harrell and Chase Daniel, that gap may have closed. There is no doubt in my mind the top two conferences are the SEC and Big XII -- but who is better? I think the only way to judge which conference is best is to look at the most equally matched teams between the two leagues and place them in head-to-head battles and see which conference wins more games. (side note: Unfortunately, the only Big XII/SEC match up scheduled for this year is when Arkansas visits Texas in week 3. This should be a fantastic game -- since the teams are old Southwest Conference rivals -- however, Arkansas shouldn't exactly be used as a measuring stick for the entire SEC, should they?)

NCAA basketball does this with the ACC vs Big 10 Challenge each year (ACC dominates yearly), so why can’t we dream about a Big XII vs SEC game to start the season each and every year for all of our teams? Since this doesn’t happen, I have taken it upon myself to decide the champion between the two conferences.

Based on Sports Illustrated's preseason rankings, I have paired up the highest ranked Big XII vs highest ranked SEC school, all the way down to the likes of Baylor vs Vanderbilt. All matchups will be analyzed as if they took place at a neutral venue, to eliminate home field advantage. Here we go:

#83 Baylor vs #75 Vanderbilt:

This game would show you the major difference between the two conferences. Baylor is looked at as the second bye week for a Big XII team where Vanderbilt is now looked at as a major hiccup waiting to happen. Baylor poses absolutely no threat to the upper echelon of the Big 12 and minimal threat to the average and below. Vanderbilt plays hard and rarely gets blown out. Teams in the SEC know that when you play Vandy, you must watch out. My point was proven last night because "#75" Vanderbilt beat a ranked SEC team in #24 South Carolina. The Commodores can't be overlooked by anyone, even those in the SEC.

Winner: Vanderbilt

#76 Iowa St. vs #72 Kentucky:

These are two schools who appear to be headed in different directions. Iowa St was a serious threat to anyone back in the Seneca Wallace or Troy Davis days, but now they are just barely above Baylor for the bottom dweller of the Big 12. Kentucky, who used to be awful, has now played in bowl games for 4 consecutive years, and like Vanderbilt, can give anyone in the conference a game any week...just ask LSU last year. Kentucky is coming off a big win against rival Louisville, which is considered one of the top 3 teams in the Big East.

Winner: Kentucky

#58 Kansas State vs #69 Arkansas:

Arkansas lost everything that made them successful the past couple years -- to the NFL draft and to the Rebels of Ole Miss (Houston Nutt). Bobby Petrino will make this team great in 3 years, but as for right now he is playing with Nutt’s recruits that were recruited for a system that is a 180 from what he likes to run. K-State has some young talent that seems to be hit or miss. Josh Freeman is a big time QB, but lacks consistency. I think this is a game that K-State would either dominate or get dominated, no real in between. I view Arkansas as that team that will give some big time teams a legit challenge this year and at other times you will see the final score and think they must have meant Arkansas St.

Winner: K-State

#51 Texas A&M vs #60 Ole Miss:

Ole Miss is an up and comer in the SEC and the TAMU is average at best in the Big 12. A&M consistently has the recruits, but seemingly never does anything with them. Mississippi is now keeping much of the local talent and is also stealing recruits from Louisiana, Alabama and Florida -- guys that could sign to play at the LSUs, 'Bamas and Floridas of the world, but have the opportunity to play immediately in Oxford. Lou Holtz has Ole Miss as the darkhorse to win the SEC this year. It sounds crazy, but you just never know. Home team would win if they played at one place or another, but at a neutral site, I give the edge to Ole Miss.

Winner: Ole Miss

#45 Nebraska vs #40 South Carolina:

South Carolina with consistent QB play has a shot of winning the SEC title and are just coming off destroying a formidable ACC opponent in NC State. Nebraska has a solid running game, but lack experience at most other key positions. They vaunted “Black Shirt” defense has been more like “Throw in the white towel” defense in the past few years. Another storied program (see Texas A&M) that just seems to be on a dreadful decline.

Winner: South Carolina

#43 Oklahoma St. vs #30 Mississippi St:

The Cowboys are very underrated considering everything that they have coming back this year on the offensive side of the ball. Defensively they have issues, but they can score a ton so unless they are playing the upper tier of the SEC, I don’t think it would matter. Mississippi St. had a great year last year by their standards, but in my opinion didn’t deserve to be ranked this high going into the season. They proved this with a loss to Louisiana Tech last week. Too much fire power for OSU and not enough for Mississippi St. The best way to beat OSU is score on them because they will put points on the board and I can’t see MSU doing that.

Winner: Oklahoma St.

#36 Colorado vs #29 Alabama:

If I had written this prior to seeing Alabama destroy Clemson, I would have given Colorado the nod, but since I did see Alabama destroy Clemson, I have to lean towards the Tide. They have one of the best coaches in the game, a battle tested, experienced leader in John Parker Wilson and a ton of talent throughout the team. While I think Dan Hawkins is going to do some great things with Colorado down the road, I don’t think they could get it done right now. In a rematch of last year's Independence Bowl, Alabama comes out on top again.

Winner: Alabama

#15 Kansas vs #12 Tennessee:

If this game were played in Knoxville, KU would have no shot. On a neutral field, this will be a close one. Kansas had a miracle season last year and it was the first good season they have had in several years (over 10). Tennessee reached the SEC title game last year but stumbled out the gates this year in a loss at UCLA. This game is all about timing and I mentioned earlier it would be the first game of the season, so with that said….

Winner: Kansas

#13 Texas vs #9 LSU:

I can honestly see this game happening come Cotton Bowl time, so maybe it can be decided then. As for now, I think UT has a lot of question marks as to who is going to produce the big plays when they need them. We all know Colt McCoy is a good QB, but what about the rest of the team? Also, the last couple years, despite sending players to the NFL, their defense has been suspect. LSU has just one question mark, QB, but it appears that they have a good enough running game and defense that they won’t need to rely on the QBs to win games. I think having the ability to run and stop opposing offenses will get you wins against everybody outside the top 10. To get victories against the top 10, you must have a QB who can make some plays. Texas isn’t in the top 10.

Winner: LSU

#8 Texas Tech vs #7 Auburn:

A game from three years ago helped me make up my mind on this game. Texas Tech is the best passing team in the nation and seemingly can put up yards and points against anyone in America. Their defense is good enough to help them win games if need be, but they don’t have to really on that too often. Auburn is that physical, big, strong, fast team from the SEC who plays smash mouth football and plays man coverage on WR and TE -- very similar to the Alabama team that beat Tech in the Cotton Bowl a few years back...and that is all I need to see, that similar comparison between those two teams.

Winner: Auburn

#6 Oklahoma vs #5 Florida:

This would be a fascinating game to watch and it is a potential National Championship game this season. OU has all sorts of fire power on the offensive side of the ball but has a very young defense. Florida is very much in the same boat. Between the 44 starters on both teams (offense and defense), half of these guys will be in the NFL at some point in time. Speed and size versus speed and size. This is another game that if played on the campus of either university, I would lean towards the home team. But on a neutral field, I have to lean towards the team that hasn’t just stunk up their last big time games on neutral fields (bowl games).

Winner: Florida

And last but not least...

#4 Mizzou vs #1 Georgia:

Let me start off by saying that if Georgia can get through their schedule and win the SEC Title game with 2 losses or less, they deserve a chance to play for the National Title. This game pits the best college football QB (Daniel) against the best pro prospect (Stafford) and includes the most electrifying WR/KO Returner/Punt Returner (Maclin) and the best RB in the nation (Moreno). This would be a FUN game to watch. I don’t think it would be the high scoring affair that Mizzou would like, but they would be able to move the ball with their speed; although they would be bullied around a little bit by Georgia’s strength. I think Georgia would be surprised by the Mizzou fire power and would need to put points on the board, which I think they would be able to. I could see this game being one of those where each team would trade a TD then go a couple possessions without moving the ball at all. Offensively I give the edge to Mizzou. Defensively I give the edge to Georgia. Special Teams I give the edge to Mizzou. I think Georgia’s defense would actually limit the Mizzou offense so they almost wash each other out. Would Maclin and the Mizzou special teams be able to come up with the big play on special teams to win this game? I don’t think so! The ‘Dawgs beat the Tigers.

Winner: Georgia

At the end of the day I believe that the SEC would flex its muscle and, in a landslide, show it is the most dominant conference.
SEC – 9 wins
Big 12 – 3 wins

We love it when they sign on, but we love it even more when they come back to us...

This has nothing to do with UT Football, but, it's in the same vein...sorta. Sports?

It's always exciting for THE University's fans when our coaches bring past players home as coaching staff. First, Major Applewhite, now Paulino (Men's Basketball)!

THE University believes in its players. (past, present AND future)

WELCOME HOME, PAULINO!!!

Let's hope you pull out some magic like that 3 pointer in days of yore.

Winner winner, chicken dinner!

Welcome to the most comprehensive, 100% accurate and totally rad prediction blog on the internet. You will have an opportunity to view my picks over the course of the College Football season -- all of which you can take the bank -- for all Big 12 South teams. I’ll even throw in a couple additional predictions of big time games at no extra charge.
-- Mattradamus

Well, I’m back for week 2. While my predicted upset didn’t happen, I was very, very happy to see one upset that I didn’t think would happen...sorry Aggies. Skoal took a big hit over the weekend when all the rednecks hid in shame and weren’t out in the streets spitting and rejoicing all weekend. It made my entire weekend and actually helped me forget the fact that I was barely over .500 with my predictions in the first week of the college football season, which is generally the easiest to predict. The term "parity" has been floating around college athletics for years...so that's my excuse for last week's outrageous picks. Here we go again….

Northwestern State at Baylor (No Line)
Baylor, as expected last week, just couldn’t hang with Wake Forest. But there are only about 25 teams in the nation who can. The Demons of Northwestern State come into Waco 1-0 after a victory against Texas A&M-Commerce to open their season.

Why Northwestern St. can win:
Unfortunately for NW St., I don’t see them standing a chance in this match up. They have no passing game, a limited rushing attack and were penalized 10 times last week.

Why Baylor can win:
You can’t say this too often about Baylor football, but they will have more talent on the field this week than their opponent. The best way to ensure beating a team that is inferior to you is to run a spread offense and throw the ball around the field, and that is what Baylor does. This is where you see the talent gap the most.

Final Prediction and Analysis:
Baylor Freshman QB Robert Griffin will have Waco known for more than just its basketball player killings and religious cults in about 3 years, and his era will begin as starting QB this Saturday. The Demons will be “sic’d” and Baylor will run away with this game and put on a show for all 2,124 in attendance.

Northwestern St. 10, Baylor 42

Cincinnati at Oklahoma (-21)
I wasn’t too far off on my prediction last week, but I think I have to thank mother nature for that. OU probably could have put 100 on the board if the wet fields and storms hadn't slowed them down. Cincy beat up on Western Kentucky last week, and is a legit threat to win the Big East.

Why Cincy can win:
The only way you go into Norman and win -- when you aren't a heavyweight -- is to have a Senior leader (Dustin Grutzka), a well balanced offense with the potential to score points (368 passing, 209 rushing and 40 scoring last week) and a turnover-prone defense that will take advantage of mistakes (led the NCAA in turnovers forced last year) and they have all of that.

Why OU can win:
They scored on every possession in the first half of their game last week and have superior talent compared to Cincinnati. Bradford ran the no huddle and was nearly flawless, Demarco Murray could be the best RB in the nation and they have two of the best wideouts in the country in Manuel Johnson and Juaquin Iglesias. They can score and they can score in a hurry.

Final Prediction and Analysis:
Several Cincy students will make the trip down to Norman and will spend the pregame driving around with the windows down yelling, “BOOMER” to hear “SOONER” from the mass of fans -- which they'll then reply to with “SUCKS”. And unless several more street fights break out involving guns, knives, chains, boa constrictors, chainsaws or Chuck Norris, I can’t see any of the aforementioned Sooner players getting hurt or missing this game for any reason. With that said, I think Cincy will put up a fight for a half but in the end the mighty giant will awaken and win this football game.

Cincinnati 20, Oklahoma 40

Houston at Oklahoma St. (-13)
Oklahoma State went to Seattle last week and dominated a less than great Washington St team with contributions from the offense, defense and special teams. Houston dominated Southern and comes into the Stillwater hoping to show they can play with the big boys.

Why Houston can win:
QB Case Keenum can throw the ball all over the field and will continue to do so all year. Just when you think you have their wideouts covered, Case looks for his TE Mark Hafner who has the size and speed to exploit a matchup against a LB or, at times, a Safety. They will put points on the board, but will it be enough?

Why OSU can win:
They had a well balanced offensive effort against Washington State and as long as they continue to stay the course, they will keep all defenses on their heels. Zac Robinson is a very consistent passer and is always a threat to tuck the ball and run. Defensively they shut down a spread offense in Washington State...but can they do it against a team that has been running the system longer and probably has better athletes than WSU? That is the question.

Final Prediction and Analysis:
I really think that OSU, with a good effort from their Defense and Special Teams, can play with EVERYONE in the country. Unfortunately for them, I don’t think those units will bring their A, B or even C+ games each and every week. These teams will trade touchdowns and I think it will come down to whose defense can get just a few stops. In the end, because of the better competition they went up against last week (WSU vs Southern), I think OSU pulls out this game and they walk out of the stadium with a very narrow victory over the up-and-coming Houston Cougars.

Houston 38, Oklahoma St. 43

Texas at UTEP (UPSET ALERT)
Texas burrowed some owls last week in a blowout victory while UTEP went to the Great Northeast and took the bull by the horns...and got gored by the Bulls of Buffalo.

Why Texas can win:
They have talent at all positions and are very solid running the football. UTEP gave up 263 yards rushing last week and and weren’t much better with the pass. Colt McCoy will have his options as to whether he wants to pass or run throughout the game. UT’s run defense will shut down the Miners rush offense and force them into throwing the ball into what may be a very opportunistic back 7 this year for the Horns.

Why UTEP can win:
The only thing I can think of is that the game is in El Paso and it is their home opener. Good teams struggle out there in the Sun Bowl.

Final Prediction and Analysis:
I picked UT to get upset last week, but I’m not that stupid this week. While UTEP may be a more formidable opponent, they don’t have the guns to stay with the Longhorns. I expect a tougher game for UT, but in the end, unless a drunk Cedric Benson is the pilot for the team's flight, I can’t see them not making it to the game. Which means they will cruise. Kind of how Cedric Benson cruises around Austin or on Lake Travis drunker than shit. Speaking of shit, I know a guy who once got so drunk that he…….ah, nevermind. Oh yeah, I was kidding about that UPSET ALERT. Just wanted to outrage certain people.

Texas 37, UTEP 17

Texas A&M (-3) at New Mexico
Texas A&M suffered one of the more humiliating defeats in the program's history last week to Arkansas State (only loss that is worse, that I can remember, is when they lost to Baylor) while New Mexico got blown out by TCU -- thus giving us the only matchup of 0-1 teams this weekend.

Why A&M can win:
They still have some pretty big names on the offensive side of the ball in McGee, Goodson and Lane. Goodson produced last week with two touchdowns and 125 yds rushing, but had a costly fumble in the 4th. McGee did more harm than good, but I see him turning that around this week. Defensively they were strong against the pass last week.

Why New Mexico can win:
Going to Albuquerque is like going into El Paso; it is a very tough place to play. The entire state of New Mexico will be there, Indians and all. It will make for a very drunk crowd and lots of horses.

Final Prediction and Analysis:
There is no way that A&M loses this game. I don’t say that because they are that good, but because New Mexico, unlike in years past, is simply that bad. This game will be about as much fun as watching your girlfriend get railed by a manatee. I can’t see either team scoring more than two times (something Aggie guys should be used to). For your eyes sake and simply because you could be doing better things like inflicting wounds on your own privates, don’t watch this game or give it a second thought. I’m sorry I had to write about it.

TAMU 10, New Mexico 9

Texas Tech (-10) at Nevada
Texas Tech is coming off a lackluster win against a D2 school and Nevada just pounded Grambling -- pitting two teams that are both 1-0 and ready to put on a show for all viewers.

Why TTU can win:
When it comes to offense and defense they are, simply put, much better. They can spread you out and throw, or hit you with a couple quick draws to keep you off balance. Defensively they only gave up 23 rushing yards in their opening game, which is a good sign considering Nevada will try to cram it down their throat. Their defensive secondary may be scrutinized this year for yardage allowed through the pass game, but that will be more a result of teams having to throw the ball because of the point deficit they face. The defensive secondary that led the Big 12 last year lost a few cogs, but are just as good.

Why Nevada can win:
Only three teams had more yards last week than Texas Tech -- Nevada was one of them and they lead the NCAA after one game. They bring a rush offense that isn’t your normal 1 or 2-back set, so it will be something that TTU hasn’t seen or simulated against. While Tech’s rush defense was great last week, they are historically very weak against the run. A good rushing attack can limit the potent Red Raider aerial strike and force some frustration. Tech is also very prone to bad penalties, and when the frustration level increases so do the mental mistakes.

Final Prediction and Analysis:
Several years ago, Tech went out to New Mexico and laid an egg against a run dominant team in what is considered to be the Western part of the US. This game worries me (being a Red Raider) because the same COULD happen here. Tech has struggled on the road at times in non-conference games and cannot win this game if they rack up another 190 yards in penalties. This is the game Nevada and their fans have had circled on their schedule since the schedule came out. They have been waiting for this day. Why?

Because they have been shitting their pants for over a year now worrying about how badly they will be blown out by one of the up-and-coming programs in the nation and can’t wait to get it over with!!

It is generally animals that smell fear, but in this case, the tables have turned and the Red Raiders smell the fear that the Wolfpack have, have had, and will continue to have until the 2008-2009 season is over and they don’t have to see the Double T on their schedule anymore. Leach, in a post game press conference, will compare his trip to Reno to “the feeling you have after a colonoscopy, in a way it was fun but I’m glad it is over, YYYARRRRR!!!”

Texas Tech 63, Nevada 35

GAME OF THE WEEK:

Miami at Florida (-21)
Miami and Florida are both coming off very impressive wins to start their seasons. This game will have more future NFL talent on the field than any other game played this season.

Why Miami can win:
I’ll be honest, I can’t see Miami having any chance of winning this football game. What I would give them for most games is that they are more athletic, bigger, stronger, faster, etc; but when you go up against the upper echelon of the SEC, this is null and void. What may keep them around is their team speed on defense and the fact that they are Miami. They won’t be intimidated going into “The Swamp” and with Florida St. no longer on the schedule, this is the game they may look forward to most. Miami has also won the last 6 meetings between the two teams and that could serve as an additional confidence booster. Freshman QB Jacory Harris is a star in the making and could have his “Vince Young Moment” (which, for Vince, came in the Rose Bowl vs. Michigan) and coming out party in this game.

Why Florida can win:
They match Miami at all positions in athletic ability, size, strength and speed and on top of that they have the best college football player in the nation in Tim Tebow. The biggest difference between these two teams is that Florida signs players who buy into a system and want to be coached, while Miami simply has guys who want to say they went to “The U” and then get drafted. When talent levels are matched, you gotta go with the guys that are willing to accept coaching and that is what the Gators are willing to do. Playing in the Swamp in a nationally televised game against an instate rival will bring out the best in Gator players and coaches and a win like this will only boost their confidence prior to going into a brutal SEC in the coming weeks.

Final Prediction and Analysis:
The only hurricane stopping the Gators will be Hannah if it is powerful enough to get up to Gainesville. Miami’s ability will keep it close for a quarter, but the Gators will run away with this game and turn it into a blowout. Who would have thought Tim Tebow would be able to sit out the 4th quarter against a Miami Hurricane team? I do and it happens Saturday.

Miami 13, Florida 48

Weekend in Review

Well, we’ve officially got the first weekend under our belts. There was one major upset – A&M losing to Arkansas State – and a couple of disappointments – Baylor losing badly to Wake Forest and Texas Tech not scoring in triple digits against Eastern Washington. Other than that, everything basically went according to plan. A quick recap and a look ahead…

Oklahoma
Our own Mattradamus predicted the final outcome of this game about as accurately as you can (his prediction: 60-3, actual outcome: 57-2). That’s even more impressive considering the size of the margin. This week, OU welcomes a team that went 10-3 last year…in the Big East. Yawn.

Ranking (via Sports Illustrated*)
Last week: 2
This week: 2

Texas Tech
Tech opened the season with a “meh”-inducing performance against Eastern Washington. Sure, Graham Harrell had a staggering 536 passing yards, but Crabtree only finished with 73 and the defense gave up 24 points and 335 passing yards. Like I said. Meh. Next week, Tech travels to scenic Reno, Nevada (the “biggest little city in the World”) to take on the Nevada Wolfpack. Obviously, we’re terrified.
Ranking
Last week: 8
This week: 8

Texas
What more can I say that hasn’t already been said by the Captain and the longhaired gentleman with the nightmarish teeth? This past weekend, Texas manhandled Florida Atlantic 52-10. Wittle Coltie threw for 222 and ran for 103. He’s the second coming of Vince Young…except…uhhh…you know, white. And slow. And not all that athletic. Right.

Ranking
Last week: 14
This week: 10

Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State represented the Big XII South well this past weekend, going on the road and pasting Washington State 39-13. Uhhh…good job? I will say this: Oklahoma State may be better this year than anyone is predicting.

Ranking
Last week: 43
This week: 45

Texas A&M
Well, what can I say. The honeymoon has officially ended for Mike Sherman. His team turned the ball over four times and gave up 280 yards on the ground. To Arkansas State. The Ags are gonna have a tough time recovering from this one. But here’s some good news: A&M is favored by a whopping three points in their game against New Mexico this weekend!

Ranking
Last week: 51
This week: 71

Baylor
Not much to say here. Wake Forest beat Baylor. However, Baylor’s young QB, Robert Griffin, showed promise. And, uhhh…they’ve got Northwestern State this week. So there’s that.

Ranking
Last week: 83
This week: 89

This week’s games:
A relatively light weekend finds every Big XII South team favored (we can assume Baylor is favored to win, right? Right?!)

Cincinnati at Oklahoma (-21)
Texas (-26) at UTEP
Texas Tech (-10) at Nevada
Texas A&M (-3) at New Mexico
Houston at Oklahoma State (-13)
Northwestern State at Baylor (no line)

* I’m using the Sports Illustrated rankings because they’re the only ones who rank all 119 teams each week. And since we’re a Big XII South blog, we need to see if A&M really can fall below Baylor.