The Show Me State

As I pack my bags for a road trip to Columbia, Missouri, I can’t help but take the time to reflect on the last few games.

My work life has become so hectic that I haven’t been able to scour the interwebs for fun facts and statistics as I normally do this time of year. Usually my fall is filled with SI, Yahoo!Sports and ESPN. This fall has been filled with property budgets, reconciliations and operating expense estimates. But that’s the way college football go…

A few brief thoughts:

The Kansas game was an absolute whipping. I used to feel bad shutting teams out, but I don’t particularly feel that way anymore. I know this isn’t a nice person thing to say, but after having teams like Oklahoma shove run-up scores in my face in order to bank up BCS votes, I’m starting to shift my feelings…sometimes I want Mack to just shut out the other team and score score score. He usually doesn’t. So I guess I’m okay with that too. I’m conflicted about the right thing and …

...the fact that I can’t figure out Texas Tech. They’ve kind of begun to be known as a BCS buster…every year, they have that one game of greatness that just shoves a BCS bound team right off the radar. Though this year we were able to stave off the attack, that team has been us many times just ask …

…Blake Gideon. It was at Kansas a few years ago when he took a hit that I legitimately thought killed him. When you see someone take a hit like that on TV, you have constant feedback on how the player is doing and updates on his conditions. When you’re in the stands, all you see is him flop down to the ground like a ragdoll and stop moving for 11 minutes. It was at this game when I noted that as advanced as medicine gets, sometimes the trainers still result to good old fashioned…

…smelling salts. I think the Texas defense must have gotten a whiff of some in the last few weeks. I’ve been impressed with their improvement since the Oklahoma Based games. Not that we’re where we need to be or where we should be, but I liked seeing things start to come together on the field. While Manny Diaz doesn’t have Muschamp’s irrational behavior, he does seem to have a handle on what’s going on out there. The only thing that has impressed me more than the defense in the last few weeks is….

….Joe Bergeron, true freshman out of Mesquite. Uh, hi! Came out of nowhere and planted two solid 130+ consecutive games and five touchdowns. I’ll take it. If co-offensive coordinators Applewhite and Harsin are going to continue lifeless play calling, then it’s nice to have a little something exciting to watch on the field. Makes it a little easier to watch the game without having to spike your drink with…

…liquor. I hardly know her! Um. Anyway. As we leave today for our journey to Missouri, I am reminded of the absolute greatness that you can buy liquor in gas stations in the Show-Me-State. You can show me convenience like that any day, Missouri. As long as you also show me…

…a win. Let’s make it three in a row, Horns!