The Cougars

Well, BYU came and went.  While my prediction was wrong, I may not have been too off point on my points.

Most notably, we did nothing to contain Hill.  And the beast unleashed on us a wrath of 181 yards passing and 99 yards rushing. 

Below are some comments that Coach Strong made about the game that I can’t say I’m totally on board with: 

"We gave up 28 points in the third quarter, allowed their quarterback to think we went into this game saying that we were going to stop the quarterback from running the football and we did not allow that to happen," Strong said. "You can't do that if you think you're going to play great defense. It wouldn't ever happen. We've still got a ways to go.”

"It's the second ballgame," Strong said. "I don't know how much of a reality check, but the reality is we need to come prepared and play great defense if you want to go play and compete.”

The score at halftime was BYU – 6, Texas – 0.  Going into the locker room, BYU was held to 2 field goals and no TD’s, offensive or otherwise. 

To me, it appeared that two teams went into the locker room and only one team made offensive adjustments.  That team was not Texas.  Unless you mean backward adjustments.  In the 3^rd quarter, Texas had two straight drives with less than one yard gains…well, three if you count the fumble by Marcus Johnson on the kick return

.   

The fourth quarter wasn’t much better.  Four drives:

5 snaps for 17 yards
3 and out for 17 yards
5 snaps for 11 yards
3 and out for 5 yards

It’s true, the defense did not contain Hill in the second half – but I would imagine the defense had trouble keeping up because they had been on the field 10 minutes longer than the offense.  A three and out offense doesn’t do much to keep our boys on defense rested.  Four turnovers doesn’t give the defense much time to prepare and adjust. 

Our defense wasn’t the problem in this game.  If the offense can’t stay on the field and make something happen, it’s going to be a long season with very few wins. 

By the numbers:

The Predictions

Leading up to the season I start getting the itch to write a prediction piece.  I’ve never predicted out a season before…especially a season with a brand new head coach…who kicks people off the team with zest...and a quarterback that can’t seem to stay unhurt….with the toughest out of conference schedule in the league…

As a compromise to being a wimp and not doing predictions and doing predictions blind, I decided to watch one game before predicting our fate.  Keep in mind that this is my team and I’m a total homer.  It pains me to make predictions that do not start with a W.   And I’m trying hard with this ‘fresh start’ team and coach to keep optimistic.   And I know very little about any other teams.  And preseason rankings are dumb. And I don't know how many more players Coach Strong is going to kick off the team. Also, my predictions are going to get less and less and informed as I roll through the season, and you'll deal with it and like it.  Enough disclaimers?  With that I bring you:

Football Girl’s Fabulous Fortunes!

Texas vs BYU
Last year’s match-up was embarrassing. So embarrassing that it resulted in the mid-season firing of Defensive Coordinator Manny Diaz who…quite honestly offended me in his lack of leading a defense. We missed just about every tackle attempted last year, and it was a disaster that their QB almost broke VY’s record despite his giant knee brace and torn ACL (or whatever he had going on under there). I have much more faith in this year’s defense – I don’t care who the opponent is (as long as they’re in the FBS, ehem, OKState), holding an opponent to less than 100 yards is legit. As for the offense, we have a lot of moving parts right now and it could be really bad. With Ash and Espinosa out, we need Swoopes and/or Heard to man up and be ready to play ball.

My Point(s):

1.      I’m liking what I see with Gray, Brown, Harris

2.      I’m a little scared about Swoopes’ on the field smarts

3.      BYU QB Taysom Hill must be contained

4.      20% of rain…last year the rain did not work in our favor

My Prediction:

1.      Texas wins.  Revenge Style.

Texas vs UCLA (Cowboys Stadium)

Not for nothing, but UCLA did not look like the #7 team in the land when they played Virginia last weekend.  Hootie Hoo.  UCLA's offensive line allowed five sacks and their rushing game was...messy.  UCLA has to face Memphis before Texas, and Memphis is no slouch.  I think both teams will be meeting undefeated and the hype will be high. 

My Point(s):

1. UCLA's offense only managed one of the 4 touchdowns against Virginia

2. We beat them last time we met, so...

My Prediction:

1.      Texas wins.  By just a litte.

Texas at Kansas

I hope I don't have to eat crow on this one (get it?), but Kansas is having a rough time lately.  Some of my favorite football memories are at Kansas games, and I really do hope that they can get it together and be a competitor in the future.  Since KU had a bye last week I really can only go on what the pollsters and history are saying...and from what I understand, Weis and the team have been working hard this offseason to prepare to do whatever it takes to win,and a team with a lot of veteran players may be the jumpstart they need to get a win streak going.  That is all.

My Point(s):
1. I don't know what I can say without sounding like a jerk

2. The overall TX-KU results are Texas -11, Kansas - 2

3. Now I sound like a jerk

My Prediction:

Texas wins and I look like a jerk.

Texas vs Baylor

Well, if you've said so far that I was a homer, listen well! Even I won't predict a win against Baylor.  While true, SMU isn't the powerhouse they were in the old days when money was flowing out of socks and cars were handed out more often than grades, Baylor looked fierce  The Bears are all hyped up in their shiny new (and awesome looking) stadium and playing like champions. Art Briles has turned the program around.  I'll admit, I was skeptical that the Bears would stay relevant when RGIII departed.  And I was wrong.  It's going to be a long drive home from Waco.

  

 My Point(s):

1. Baylor's stadium is so pretty!

2. Baylor will win the Big XII

My Prediction:

I'm going to be Sic ('em Bears) when we lose to Baylor

Texas vs OU (Cotton Bowl)

Oh you, OU.  This is such a crapshoot for me, or anyone for that matter, to pick. Ranked 4th in the preseason (and those are always accurate...amirite SC?), they handed Louisiana Tech a 48-16 beating in the season opener.  The Sooners are out to prove that they aren't flukes and their win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl was just the beginning. From what I saw of the massacre, Trevor Knight looked legit and both the passing and running games solid.  I know I'm giving a lot of props here, and believe me, it hurts.  I will say it's hard to tell what the team is really made of until they get on the field with a higher quality opponent (sorry bulldogs!).  Still, the Red River Rivalry is not a game that's won in the preseason, or in the first five games of the season.  The Gods of The Majestic grant victory to the team that brings it and leaves it all out on the field.

My Point(s):

1. OU is probably pretty good, no matter how much I make fun of their cream-puff opener.

2. I don't like it that Trevor Knight is only a Sophomore.
3. I heard there are going to be fried bacon cheddar mashed potatoes at the fair.  Yum. 

My Prediction:

1. We are going to lose to OU, but it will be close. 
2. It will rain.

Texas vs Iowa State

Well.  Another team that I just don't know much about and am just making grand assumptions about....now I remember why I've never done an entire season of predictions at once...because it's hard.  I am fairly confident that when we play the Birds with Teeth that we'll come home with a win...and after our two game losing streak (if the Football Girl Prophecies are true) we'll be looking for a solid win to get us back on track. Iowa State got trounced by North Dakota State in the first week (NDSU is one of the best FCS programs, but...still and FCS program).  Sam Richardson, ISU's QB is slippery and pretty accurate...but unfortunately I don't think he has the offensive line to back him up or the defensive unit to keep other teams from whomping up on them.

My Point(s):

1. I'm happy the game is at DKR so I don't have to hear that tornado siren all the time.

2. Cyclone Down!

My Prediction:

1. Texas will Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin-wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin-wiiiiiiiiiiiiin (that's a siren sound)

Texas at Kansas State

I don't care if Kansas State is 0-7 when we play them and we are undefeated.  KSU is going to get out it's turban and it's crystal ball and they are going to foresee the future, write down all of the plays we're going to run and destroy us.  K State has our number like no other...I can dream and wish that it was a Bill Snyder/Mack Brown thing and now we're in a new era....but I don't know.  In the all-time series, K State is up on us 8-6....seven of those losses since 1998 (Mack's era).  The Wildcats are (at time of posting) ranked 20th.  You have to love Bill Snyder, who when asked if senior Tyler Lockett would play this season answered "If I want him to..."

My Point(s):

1. Sr QB Waters had a double-double (not really) throwing for two and rushing for two TD's in the opener.

2. K State is 100% in 4th down conversions thus far in the season

My Prediction:
1. I dread this game every year, 2014 being no exception.  We're going to lose.

Texas at Texas Tech

I was not the most impressed watching Tech play against Central Arkansas last week.  I'm not the only one....Coach Hottie-McRayBans called the win "embarrassing" and is hoping to get everything on track.  Tech QB Webb was 39 for 52 with two picks and four TD's.  Their defense didn't too look good, allowing UTEP 406 yards of offense. It's not that best that we'll be playing in Lubbock, a place that can be really scary if you're....um, not a Red Raider.  It's an intimidating environment, especially for a squad of players who have never played there before, but frankly at this point I don't think the Red Raiders are anything we can't handle.


My Point(s):

1. Tech had 15 penalties for 114 yards.

2. Tech has only hung one win on Texas in the last decade.

My Prediction:
1. All we (will) do is win (this game) no matter what what what.

Texas vs West Virginia

The last two WVU/Texas meetings have been nail-biting and exciting. Each team has won one game since WVU joined the BIG XII, both on the other's home turf, and the highest margin of victory has been a whopping seven points.  Last year's game in Morgantown ended with couches burning and overtime.  This year, we hope will have the same flare, and judging by the numbers WVU put up against Alabama last week, there's reason to hope the Mountaineers can put up a good season. QB Trickett looked good setting career numbers against the tide, but the WVU defense did look a little weak on the pass rush.  After Coach Strong hinted that we're going to run, run, run the ball, this may bode well for us.

My Point(s):

1. WVU is 6-12 in conference play since joining the BIG XII---

2. I'm not kidding about the couch burning.  Google it.

My Prediction:
1. Texas wins.  Moonshine also wins.

Texas at Oklahoma State

Well, if you want to talk about a game that is a crapshoot.  Texas and Oklahoma State have such a fun rivalry, it's another one of those games where it doesn't really matter who's higher in the rankings.  The overall record is Texas 23 - OSU 5.  Pretty lopsided, though three of those wins were since 2010.  I think we can all agree the last three seasons of Texas Football have been pretty pitiful, but props to the Cowboys...it's always a fun road trip.  Oklahoma State put up a great opener against #1 Florida State, with 203 yards passing and 161 rushing.  They had 2 fumbles on each side of the ball and had a bit of trouble converting on 3rd and 4th downs.  The Cowboys are a young team with some trouble on the pass defense but, as I've said many times in these predictions...it's still pretty darn early and I've only had a chance to see footage from one game. 

My Point(s):

1. Mike Gundy is a MAN.  He's 47.

2. Not a lot of hotels in Stillwater

My Prediction:
1. Texas wins.  Maybe. Probably.  I'm sticking to it.  For now.

Texas vs TCU

Thanksgiving game. Turkey.  Football. Tailgate. Frogs. Horns.  Personal dislike. 

That is all. 

My Point(s):

1. Texas over TCU - 62-21-1 all time

2. If you don't know how I feel about TCU and Gary Patterson...read up

My Prediction:

1. Texas wins.  

The Questions

The first game has come and gone like a drone in the night.  I’d like to say that it has helped me form some amazing opinions about my Longhorns, but I feel I am left still with many questions.   Now that I’ve finally rid myself of the glitter of the game (literal glitter…I had an unfortunate shirt selection leaving me looking like a vampire that was really into football) questions like these remain….

 

Why was there a man in a jet pack flying for a very short distance?  I kind of liked it because it was a freaking jet pack and you don’t see those a lot.  But I was expecting something different from the Mighty Fine promotion.  Shouldn’t the Mighty Fine Gorilla have been wearing the jet pack?  Shouldn’t they have explained that it was a little game, to guess which colored dot he was going to land on?  I would have liked a little jet pack tour...fly up to the upper deck, making it rain Mighty Fine burgers or cold hard cash. 

 

Why did Tyrone Swoopes come in for the last 45 seconds of the game just to take a knee?  At the time I conjectured that David Ash was hurt, and while he did end his night with concussion-like symptoms, they allegedly came much later, after in the game.  Considering Swoopes had been named QB2, maybe should he have come in the game earlier, like when we were up over 20 points?  Now we’re left with him at QB1 (for now…I heard Heard is possibly moving up the ranks) and he's played only five games in 2013 (5 of 13 for 26 total yards….and two sacks). 

 

Who were the orange people that ran on the field with the team?  As the longhorns ran out onto the field and made their way to the North end zone to say a prayer (or tie their shoes…whatever that pre-game ritual is) along with them ran a small squad of players in all orange uniforms who headed straight to the sidelines.  Was it a small Longhorn army of Stormtroopers? Were they players on the roster weren’t able to suit up?  Were they spies?  Were they the ghosts of coaches past?  Whoever they were, I liked it.

 

Why did the band pause during the spelling song?  A staple of the band is playing a song I call the spelling song.  (I assume it has another, more official name.)  This pseudo “Texas Fight” has a cadence which the fans yell along the letters that spell T-E-X-A-S then yell “Texas Fight” during each stanza…this goes on five or six times.  Most students have vulgar additions to say with each letter that eventually you have to drop when you sit with real adults.  I digress.  It’s a tradition each season, that at the game before Oklahoma, after the third stanza, the band pauses at a certain point and everyone is supposed to yell “Beat the Hell Out of OU”.   It’s something to look forward to every year, it means that corny dogs and wax cups full of beer are in your very near future.  Unless it’s 2014, when I guess the band has just decided to pause whenever they want.  It caused confusion and I did not like it.  Sometimes they paused, sometimes they didn’t. What am I supposed to yell when they pause?  “Beat the Hell Out of UNT?”  “Please, oh Please let us win this game”?  “Why are you pausing, it’s not OU?”  Meh.

 

Did the players have their ‘Horns up?  I have to admit I was a little too interested in this.  From my perch in the end zone, I didn’t notice any players throwing up their ‘Horns during the game, so I anxiously awaited the playing of “The Eyes of Texas” after the win to check it out.  And wouldn’t I be damned that the godzillatron never once showed the players, only Charlie Strong.  I didn’t notice the classic unison hand chopping during “when Gabriel blows his horn” which normally can be seen from our seats. I did notice Coach Strong had his 'Horns up.  I wonder when he earned that right?

 

Aside from all the questions left unanswered, I was happy to see a pumped up crowd for the first time in a long time.  I was also very impressed with our defense, to see actual tackles being made and followed through on.  I have high hopes and expectations for the defense, having held UNT to just 94 yards of total offense, about 15% on conversions, and snagging four takeaways.  It was disappointing that our offense fumbled in the manner they did, costing the hard working defense a shutout.

 

Offensively, I like what I was seeing from John Harris, Malcolm Brown and Jonathan Gray.  I’m disappointed to be losing both QB David Ash (for at least one game) and 5^th year Center Dom Espinosa (out for the year), but we will have to move on through the pain.  In my mind, Ash has always been questionable to remain healthy through the season, but Espinosa’s ankle injury is a blow, as he has started every game for Texas since 2011.  The upside is that hopefully redshirt freshman center Jake Raulerson has been practicing with Tyrone Swoopes and Jerrod Heard and it might help ease the transition.  Or maybe not.

 

With one winning game under our belt buckles, the season is just getting underway.  A lot of football is left to accompany our unanswered questions.  I feel like we’ve suited up and are running wind sprints into the unknown…and I’m excited.

The Anti-Encouragement

While perusing my sports stories I came upon this article on ESPN.com:

 

QB David Ash returns for Texas

 

I'm not going to lie.  I'm skeptical that this kid is going to make it through the season without a major injury.  But I digress.

 

Most disturbing is this quote:

 

"I told him the only thing I need him to do is manage the offense," Strong said. "I don't need you to be a great player; just play within yourself."

 

Geesh, Coach strong, you might think it, but don't say it.  It sounded a lot like the disturbing pre-game talk Mack Brown gave to Case McCoy last year before the Texas/Oklahoma game.  I looked everywhere for the quote, and can't find it.  It was basically: "Don't be a hero.  Just don't mess it up."
 

Of course, to this, Case McCoy had the best response ever.

 

"This is a game that I could be remembered for the rest of my life. I'm preparing and [practicing] for a game I'll be remembered for forever."

 

And a game to remember forever it was.

 

For weeks, even after the infamous OU game, the Longhorns had been touted as the underdogs, and when asked why, Case was pretty upfront.

The Little Future Sooner

 

You little future Sooners.  So tough and adorable with your smack talk.  

 

 

At least Texas fans know how to use proper grammar, such as apostrophes and capitalized letters. 

 

Kid, I'm happy for you that you can kick a 66-yard field goal.  At practice...with no interference. 

 

I'm also happy that Texas has had a player do better than that in an actual game...67 yards.  In fact it's the current NCAA record for the longest field goal. 

 

 

The Article

My mom sent me this article to read about TCU which I am not going to lie, I really enjoyed.  I'll follow up when we get some responses from GOG (Good 'ol Gary).  For now, just enjoy:

 

 

TCU needs to end This Knucklehead Era

 

 

The Comparison

This Barking Carnival article comparing the (2nd) LeBron James Decision to the Big XII Conference Realignment is maybe my favorite thing related to LeBron James.

Except for this commercial:

 

The Rules

“I don’t want to talk about things. I’d rather do things. We just talked. Now it’s time to do."

Charlie Strong - Head Coach, The University of Texas

 

 

I realize this is old news but I've been thinking about football season and getting excited about our new coach.  I asked The Googler to find me the new "rules" that Coach Strong smacked down in January.  I got excited again just reading them.

 

Players will attend all of their classes and sit in the front two rows of all of their classes. GAs, academic folks, position coaches will be checking constantly now.  

No headphones in class. No texting in class. Sit up and take notes. 

A-wicka-wicka-wicka-wicka-wicka-NO FUN!

If a player misses a class, he runs until it hurts. If he misses two classes, his entire position unit runs. If he misses three, the position coach runs. The position coaches don't want to run.

No earrings in the football building. No drugs. No stealing. No guns. Treat women with respect.

Players may not live off campus anymore, unless they're a senior who hits certain academic standards. The University will buy out the leases for every player currently living off campus and put them in the athletic dorm.

The team will all live together, eat together, suffer together, and hang out together. They will become a true team and learn to impose accountability on each other. The cliques are over.

There's no time for a rebuild. "I don't have time for that." The expectation is that Texas wins now.

Players will learn that they would rather practice than milk a minor injury.

The focus is on winning and graduating. Anything extraneous to that is a distraction and will be stamped out or removed.


I'm curious to see, come football season how and if these rules are enforced.   And if we'll hear about any violations and the subsequent punishments. 

But for now, a slow clap for you, Coach Strong.

The Hiatus

“Oh where have you been, my burnt orange one?”  - Bevo Dylan.

 It’s a question I get asked with shocking regularity for a gal with a little blog.  Obviously, they’re not asking it exactly like that, but the question comes up.  

If you’re a regular or semi-follower, you’ll note that I haven’t put anything up since October, just before the Texas-OU game. 

Before you start thinking that I stopped writing because of our performance last season, let me stop you.  We won the Texas-OU game (handily, I might add) and the three that followed…including a game against the team with the coach I love to hate, TCU.  Aaaaand let me just point out that I’ve written plenty of blogs through plenty of terrible seasons. 

I love my Longhorns to a fault, win or lose.  And Mack Brown.  Which leads me to the real point of the story:  Why I stopped writing.

The talk about Mack Brown retiring had begun to absolutely infuriate me.  To the point that I couldn’t even talk about it.

It’s not because I didn’t think Mack’s time to retire had come.   I did.

It’s not because I didn’t think it was time for a change. I did.

It’s because I believe Mack Brown earned the right to be treated with respect, and he earned the right to walk out the door with dignity on his own terms. 

I was ready for a change, but let’s be frank, here… (“Hi, Frank!”)…there’s not a single thing I can do about it.  Change was going to happen when it was going to happen, and nothing that a bunch of sportswriters, whiny fans or Monday morning quarterbacks could do was going to change that. 

So until the powers that be were ready to make that change, I made the decision to support my team and my coach the way I always had. 


By the time Coach Brown retired, it had been a two season long circus.  Each win brought speculation that Mack was being fired.  Each loss brought speculation that Mack was being fired.

My facebook post the day of the announcement.  I
deleted six rude Mack-hating comments from the
post that day.

The breaking point for me came when people began to insinuate that Texas fans would prefer to lose games in order to speed up the Mack ousting process.   As a Texas fan, I was not surveyed.  And had I been, my answer would have been an absolute “no”.   But the lack of polling wasn’t what got me the most.  What made me angriest was the idea that there were probably people out there who felt this way. 

To me, a FAN is someone who is enthusiastically devoted to their team.  Win, lose, bad staffing, good staffing.  You are a supporter of a greater thing.  To wish for losses is basically to wish to hinder the success of our players.  Which I personally think is a pretty crappy thing to do.

I needed to take a break from inviting people to spread their negative energy on me.  I still attended and watched the games, cheered for my players, coaches and school, and frankly, I did so with much more joy than I had over the previous season and a half.   

I stopped letting the haters in. 

I walked away from conversations about firing Mack Brown. 

I unfriended people on Facebook who took random comments I made (typically not football related) and turned them into rude remarks about how I refused to get on the Mack-Hating Bandwagon. 

I turned the TV and radio off when discussions about Mack Brown’s future started.

And it felt awesome to just enjoy the season, to enjoy the time with my friends & family, surrounded by burnt orange. To support Coach Brown in what I was confident would be his final season.

It felt pizza awesome.


I wish the rest of Longhorn Nation would have given Coach Brown the same respect, but I can’t control them.  I can’t control a desire to win that is greater than a desire to be a FAN.

And now that the dust has settled, I am ready to come back.  Now that we’ve all got our poopy-pants off, I hope the Longhorn Nation can come together with a new, positive attitude about our team.  Hopefully the complaining hasn’t gone on for so long that there’s no reversing it.  We would be doing a disservice to our players and new coaches if we didn’t look at the upcoming season with fresh eyes and hearts.


We are mere months away from a new era in Longhorn Football.  And let me tell you, I can’t wait!  I think Coach Strong is going to be good for The Program.

And I can’t wait to write about it.



Not this program.

The Rivalry

I could do the research, but I'd rather cheat and use theirs: Things To Know About The Golden Hat

Hook 'Em

The Comments that Weren't about Les Miles

My favorite purple coach is at it again.   You may have heard, about a week ago that Gary Patterson was in the news for apparently slamming Les Miles' decision to play Jeremy Hill in the LSU season opener against TCU.

Hill, LSU's leading rusher was let back onto the team after 1) the LSU team voted him in to play and 2) the judge presiding over his sucker-punch-probation-violation case chose not to send him to jail. 

This puts Hill in the starting lineup for the the Horned Frogs season opener against Miles' Tigers.   When asked about it on August 7th, Patterson told the Fort Worth Star Telegram:

“I’m sure if it was some opponent they’d beat by 100 points (the players) wouldn’t have a vote. It’s not my worry. I’ve got to play whoever they put on the field,”

 

The funniest things about that statement are the assumptions that A) Miles wouldn't stoop that low for any win, which I personally think he would and B) LSU couldn't beat TCU by 100 points.   I'm not saying they could hang a Benjamin on TCU (and they didn't), but on any given Saturday, any team can lose by 100 points.  You've just got to have the perfect storm.  It takes a pretty cocky man to say otherwise. 

 

Speaking of storms, did I mention that TCU's Big XII Defensive Player of the Year Devonte Fields was on the bench during the TCU/LSU game?  Back in May, TCU stated in a press release that lineman was suspended for the first two games of the season "due to a violation of university and team policy."

 

Here's where it starts to get sticky for Coach Jerkface Patterson.  When word got out he'd made comments about Coach Miles' decision to lift Hill's suspension, (such as):

 

“My whole team would vote Devonte (Fields) to be back on the team because they all want to win,” Patterson said. “That doesn’t teach life lessons.”

 

suddenly he recanted, and insisted he wasn't talking about LSU at all:

 

“I know what I said. I didn’t mention Jeremy Hill. I didn’t mention Les Miles,” Patterson said after Thursday’s practice. “It was more about Devonte Fields. If they want to make something up so they can get all fired up… I can get the same thing when I go home. Everyone can stand in line.”

"I must not tell lies"

Patterson is claiming that every person in the world who read those comments put the wrong dots in the wrong order and stretched his words out to make it seem like he was implying something he wasn't.

Right.  And Voldemort never came back.

He even sent Coach Miles a doctored transcript of the press conference, just to prove he wasn't being bossy pants.  Yeah, Patterson.  You may not have said their names, but who exactly were you referring to when you spoke to the press about "playing whoever is on the field" and "the players" not having "a vote" if it was "some opponent they'd beat by 100 points"?

 

Contrary to what Gary thinks ("Anybody who knows me knows that’s way outside of character, so why would I do it now?") I think it was completely in character as I've pointed out here, here, here, here and here. 

Also, did I mention I'm a psychic-ish?

That's okay, Gary.  You sit on your high horse and...oh, wait! What?  Have you and Kevin Sumlin been hanging out lately....?  Because what's about to come out of your mouth sounds alot like what Sumlin tried to feed us last year regarding suspended players when his season opener was rescheduled.

 

"Steven Jenkins and Howard Matthews were suspended for the first game. As a matter of fact, last week, neither guy was involved in our preparation for Louisiana Tech and that'll remain the situation," Sumlin said. "As a matter of fact, Howard Matthews played scout team wide receiver last week. A lot of things have changed because of that since the storm and they will still be suspended for the Louisiana Tech game. That won't change."

 

Wait. What?!  I digress.

The TCU press release said Fields would be suspended for the first two games.  Suddenly, Patterson is saying the suspension is his call.  That could absolutely be true.  But why bring that up?  Because suddenly Fields is listed at the top of the depth chart.  And all of a sudden, we hear that TCU's Campus Life Organization voted (voted?! gasp!) to lift Fields' suspension even before the LSU game.   And suddenly, sitting a player out for two games is dangerous!  And it leads to "an opportunity to get hurt."

(Play Film Noir music in your head here.)

And, even though the suspension was ALL GARY, ALL THE WAY, if the TCU Chancellor approves, Fields will probably play the next game.

You know, so he doesn't get hurt.  Granted, TCU probably doesn't need Fields to beat SE Louisiana, but it sure would be nice if Fields had a little playing time before the Texas Tech Big XII opener next week.  But has Fields has suddenly learned his lesson, or, contrary to his earlier comments, does Patterson believe that sometimes life lessons DO take a backseat to wanting to win.

Plus, Fields was sad:

 

“I think he was physically hurt that he was in that situation and he couldn’t help,” Patterson said.

 

Literally, physically hurt. 

And instead of telling us the lessons Devonte learned, Patterson brought it all back to Patterson, and how the mean old media is so mean to him:

"That reporter over there.  He was being mean to me."

 

“As far as all the blast I get about not getting a pass rush, nobody said Devonte Fields was gone,” he said, although most reporters pointed out Fields’ absence. “They just said we didn’t have a pass rush. No matter which way you look at it, you still get hammered. As a football coach, you get hammered one way or the other, it doesn’t make any difference.”

 

Yeah, I know how you feel buddy.  Nobody talked about how we lost the National Championship to Bama because Colt McCoy was gone.  Oh, wait.  That's all anyone talked about.  Never mind.


 

 

(It Ain't About) The Money, Money, Money....

Last night I watched my favorite movie for the 198th time, Pitch Perfect.  If you haven't seen it, go watch it on Itunes.  I'll wait....Great! You're back!  Tell me that wasn't hilarious and one of the best 90 minutes of your life.  I dare you. 

Don't tell me you can watch this without getting
choked up over the Breakfast Club Song...

 

During one of the scenes in the movie, an a capella team covers a song by Jessie J called Price Tag, with the lyrics being "It ain't about the Money (Money, Money), We don't need the money (Money, Money)"  This, of course, got me thinking about college football. 

 

Because everything makes me think of college football.

 

If you don't know yet about the whole "Johnny Football paid for Autographs" ordeal yet, then why are you reading this blog?  Go, get out into the world and read the hundreds of articles on the subject!  Do your duty, ye fan of college football.

 

People on Team Johnny Cash Football, as opposed to people on Team NCAA, are spouting off about how the NCAA has to prove that money changed hands in order to bring down a suspension of Mr. Manziel.  I have to disagree....according to the NCAA bylaws:

 

12.5.2 Nonpermissible

12.52.1 Advertisements and Promotions After Becoming a Student-Athlete.

 

After becoming a student-athlete, an individual shall not be eligible for participation in intercollegiate athletics if the individual:

(a) Accepts any remuneration for or permits the use of his or her name or picture to advertise, recommend or promote directly the sale or use of a commercial product or service of any kind; or

(b) Receives remuneration for endorsing a commercial product or service through the individual’s use of such product or service.



"Wait?  Those 1500 Autographs weren't
just for your kids?"

Am I crazy, or does this rule seem to indicated that it doesn't matter if money changed hands?  To me the rule states that if a player know the use of his name is going to be sold, he's in violation.  Don't they have video of him admitting he "did a signing" with the brokers?  Is Johnny Football so stupid that he doesn't know that the business of an autograph broker is to sell photos?  And that over a thousand items are probably not for personal use?

I know it seems like a grayish area, but let me tell you my theory...on how this is going to go down.  Alot of times the NCAA doesn't want to issue suspensions....even if they think they should.  So if a school is willing to suspend the player, I think the NCAA is going to be more willing to go with that punishment and let it go.  But!  With all of the national attention this story is getting, I believe that if Texas A&M chooses not to take pre-emptive action, the NCAA would deal a harsher punishment simply because they feel they have egg on their face.  If I was A&M, I'd pop him for two games then let him play against Alabama and take my chances.

But I just write blogs, so whatevs.

The Investigation

Here's the deal.  I really want to weigh in on this whole Johnny Manziel thing.  But I'm waiting.  The
"thing" I'm reffering to is the current NCAA investigation into one Mr. Football for allegedly taking money from an autograph broker to sign mememorabilia.


This picture, taken the same weekend as the BCS National
Championship Game where the alleged violation happened,
can not be used as evidence.  

I have much to say about this whole topic of Johnny Football and the investigation.  But not now.   For now what I will say is that the burden of proof is with the NCAA to prove that money actually changed hands, or that Manziel knowingly did something in violation of an NCAA rule.

The most damning evidence would be an "alleged" video the broker in question recorded that was shown to (and reported on by) ESPN in which Manziel makes statements that imply he was doing something he knew he shouldn't be.

ESPN declined to buy the video from the broker, when he asked for payment.  Because the broker does not intend to cooperate with the NCAA, there is only ESPN hearsay that the video actually exists.

So, here's my question.  Why hasn't some A&M or SEC hating Richie Rich just purchased the video and send it to the NCAA?  I actually find it incredible that this hasn't happened yet.

I'm interested to see how this all turns out.  In the meantime, a new home has gone on the market in College Station.

The Transfer

It would appear the news today is that another quarterback bites the dust....
Redshirt QB Conner Brewer has left the Texas program and it seeking transfer to another program, though he was not specific about which one.  Considering he had 14 offers, I'm sure someone will be happy to have him, but I hope he doesn't follow in his swimmer sister's footsteps and transfer to USC.

Though I guess Lane Kiffen can have our sloppy seconds if he wants them.

Does this mean that Jalen Overstreet will be taken out of the receivers corp and popped back into the quarterback rotation, or will Ash, McCoy, and Swoopes be enough?

The Hand Horns

Here at Adventures of a Football Blog, other than subliminal endorsements of random booze, I've never just flat out endorsed a product. 

Get Ready.  Put your Horns Up.

Your Hand Horns.

That's right, I said Hand Horns.  Today I came across this kickstarter project and literally wanted to kick myself for not having discovered it sooner so I could get in on the initial run of them in time for the 2013 season. 

Brilliant. 

I don't know when they're going to hit the streets, but when they do, find them, buy many of them and, as Walter Cronkite would say "Get your Horns up."
  
Your Hand Horns.  

The Stupid Research Project

According to Ivan Maisel:

Two University of Texas researchers, writing in the Journal of Sport Management, conclude that alcohol sales at college football games should be limited to premium seating areas. The researchers looked at an unnamed public university’s financial data from 2008-10, wrote that by the time the concessionaire took its cut, the increase in revenue from general admission sales wasn’t worth the social and ethical costs. However, the availability of alcohol in the club seats helped drive demand for them. 

FOR SHAME!! 

"Damn it feels good to be a gangsta..."

Stupid researchers and their stupid facts and stupid statistics.  

Ethics, Schmethics!   It's much more ethical for me to buy beer at the game than it is for me to sneak liquor to my seat inside in my boot! 

I can promise you if I want to be drunk at a game I'll do it...might as well make money off of me.  Especially the University of Texas, which in addition to being The Devil has been hailed as a Money-Grubbing-Scroodge-Face.

FOR SHAME!!

Booo you, University of Texas researchers.  I hear by strip ye of your burnt orange flasks and coozies and banish you to Utah.  Or if the Cougars won't have you, to prohibition times...how quickly you would fold under the gangster rule of Bonnie, Clyde and Steve Buscemi.

  

The Pants on Fire

In a report by Christopher Wilson at Yahoo! Sports, here's what current Ohio State Coach and former Florida Gators Coach Meyer has to say when asked what troubles Hernandez had at Florida:

"Relatively speaking, he had very minor stuff. He was questioned about being a witness (to a shooting), and he had an argument in a restaurant (in which Hernandez allegedly struck an employee in an argument over an unpaid bill), and he was suspended one game (reportedly for a failed marijuana test). Other than that, he was three years a good player. That was it." 

That's right, Meyer.  A slow clap is due.

Minor stuff, you know.  Like a traffic ticket or an MIP ... or ... being somehow involved in a shooting, doing drugs, stealing from restaurants and assault.

The most interesting part about the article is Meyer skirting the question of the failed drug tests by saying  

“I just received an email from a friend where there is an accusation of multiple failed drug tests covered up by the Univ. of Florida or the coaching staff,” Meyer wrote in a text to The Sun. “This is absolutely not true. Hernandez was held to the same drug testing policy as every other player.

That's kind of a non-answer, no?  Since the Boston Globe, Sports Illustrated, two Florida staff members and Hernandez himself are reporting that he failed "4 to 6" drug tests while at Florida it's weird that Hernandez was only penalized for, and Meyer is only recognizing, one. 

I smell a fire.  Pants! Fire! 

Meyer trying to play that his programs are run so clean is laughable, especially considered the estimated 34% of the 2008 Championship Team were either arrested while in school at Florida or in the 5 years since.  

Clean.  Soapy, soapy clean. 

If Ohio State is looking to clear up their image of cover-ups in the football program, I fear they may have picked the wrong guy...