A Simple Proposition

Texas and OU fans - don't get your panties in a bunch. I'm about to suggest something almost blasphemous to Sooners and Longhorns everywhere. It's time to move the Red River ShootOut.

For years, the game has been played on a nice Texas fall day, usually the 1st or 2nd weekend in October in the midst of the Texas State Fair in Dallas at the Cotton Bowl. The new Big 12 Lite, with the way football scheduling will be done, should be the catalyst for change of this near century old tradition.

Face it: the Big 12 Lite is now a 2 team conference, Texas and Oklahoma. Folks will argue it has been that way for up to a decade now, and this is correct. But like them or not, Nebraska was the 4th winningest program in the history of college football. That makes them a national attraction, and with their departure, we are left with just 2 marquee schools in the conference: UT and OU. The new Big 12 Lite will require each team to play the nine other members once, and will eliminate a conference championship game. Everyone plays everyone now, so it begs the question: why put the marquee game at the START of the conference season.

Big 12 Commissioner Bebbe has told the remaining 10 schools to schedule aggressively for their 3 non conference games going forward. Why? Because the national perception of the Big 12 Lite is about to fall to the level of the ACC. One loss teams in the Big 12 Lite will have extreme difficulty in getting a BCS title shot, with the limited number of quality opponents in conference available to schedule. Worse: the Big 12 Lite won't have a conference championship game the first weekend in December to showcase the league against the ACC, SEC, and presumably now - Big 10 and Pac 10.

Solution? Move Texas-OU to the first weekend in December, and put the game in JerryWorld. The game will sell out. The networks will come in droves to pick it up. Imagine undefeated OU vs. undefeated Texas for a Big 12 championship and BCS birth on the line in December? It brings to mind the last two Florida vs. Alabama SEC Championship clashes.

Even if the two schools aren't the dominant teams in the league, the game has historically drawn huge ratings in the southwestern part of the country. The best way to pull viewers away from multiple league championship games is to offer something almost or just as good. The best matchup in the Big 12 Lite offers this to network executives.

The proposal can be temporary. Ultimate success in football is cyclical, and certainly Texas and OU won't be the only winners of the Big 12 Lite, should the league continue to exist indefinitely.

For now, in order to garner the ratings and the money we've been hearing about that will come to all 10 schools, moving this game helps ensures the relevancy of the Big 12 moving forward.

Barry Tremel: The Worse Columnist in OK

Barry Tramel of The Oklahoman posted this article, blaming Texas politicians for the saving of the Big 12. The following is an email sent to Tramel. I hate him.

Your recent article regarding Texas politics and the saving of the Big 12 Conference is further evidence of your inability, as a resident of Oklahoma, to admit that the horse that drives the cart in the southwestern world of football has, and always will be, The University of Texas. You try to convince readers that Texas only stayed because of politicians in Texas? What about the media rights Texas will retain in order to start their own network? How about the new tv deals coming down the pipe from Fox (reported to be in the $140 million range for the conference?)

Texas cannot be the all powerful money greedy school you seem to disparage on one hand, and turn money away from the politicians on the other. The argument makes no sense.

You know what I think? I think that folks in Oklahoma such as yourself are pissed that despite the dominance of your OU Sooners football team, you still can’t usurp Texas as the local power. Here is a school, in OU, that is arguable the most successful program in the history of college football (8 national titles, is it). And within days of the conference realignment talk, the OU AD comes out and says “We go where Texas goes”. That must burn every Sooner in the state.

So here’s the question? Is Oklahoma as a state and the universities within it so weak that, according to your argument, the future of their conference and university success lies within the Texas political landscape? If Texas politicians kept the Longhorns from going to the greener fields of the Pac 10, then surely they kept the teams from Oklahoma going as well. Man – that must suck as a reporter in Oklahoma – to believe the future of the programs you cover on a regular basis is decided in the backrooms of Austin.

Conference Shake Up

The petty jealousies of the University of Texas by fellow Big 12 schools has led to the recent Big 12 implosion. Fine, I can accept that, I'm a Longhorn. If I wasn't, and I were a Cornhumper, an Aggie, or a Buffalo, I would be jealous too.

To Nebraska: Nice. Nebraska AD and Chancellor try to spin their move to blame others. Jackass Tom Osborne: "As we realized that some of the schools that were urging us to stay, had talked not just to one other conference, not just to two other conferences, but to three. And were sometimes talking to those conferences as they urged us to stay." No crap, you morons. YOU WERE TYRING TO LEAVE. Take your old school, decrepit old man AD, and your conrhumping fans, and go to the Big 10. I'm sure you'll be much more "respected" in the Big 10. News flash, idiots. You'll have no more power in that conference with Michigan and OSU playing the role of Texas than you did in the Big 12. Know why? Cause new conference or not, you are still NEBRASKA. And, thus, irrelevant.

To Colorado: Not sure how your selection is any better than Baylor for the Pac 10, however at least the academic standards in the new conference remain as high as they were. Oh wait. You're Colorado. I think you just lost 3 scholarships for football because your players prove that having stupid athletes doesn't make your team better...

To TAMU: I've avoided speaking before now. If your inadequate feelings that surround the relationship you have with UT force you to try to sneak into the SEC, congratulations, you will have earned every bit of embarrassment that will surely come your way in a conference you have no chance of ever winning.

Question re: Texas changing offense for 2010

Over the past two years, media types and fans alike have questioned, "Where is the Texas running game? Why can't the Horns run the ball?" In 2008, the Horns were led by QB Colt McCoy in yards rushing with 542, and in 2009 Tre Newton led the way, with a total in the mid 500s. As spring ball approached, Head Coach Mack Brown has decided Texas needs to establish a more potent downhill running attack, and has spent considerable time in spring practice implementing a "H-Back" formation (i.e. the return of the 2 back set). It seems everyone in Austin and across the country is intent on Texas finding a way to run the ball consistently, and get away from the pass first mentality of the past two seasons.

My question: Why?

Let's look at the past two years. A record of 26-2, with 2 BCS bowl appearances. An offense that averaged more than 40 points per game each year. 2009 produced a national championship birth, a Big 12 conference Championship, a Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, and multiple All Americans. 2008 produced a Fiesta Bowl victory over Ohio State, a Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, multiple All Americans. Both seasons produced a Heisman finalist, Walter Camp Player of the Year, 2 victories over OU, 2 victories over TAMU. Save an ill fated drop by Blake Gideon, we'd be talking about back to back Big 12 titles, BCS Championship births, at least one Heisman trophy, and arguable the greatest two years in the modern history of Texas football.

So why change things up? Because of the loss of All Everything QB Colt McCoy? Hogwash. Texas has locked up some of the greatest QB talent to come out of the state in years precisely because of the pass happy offense Mack has run over the past two years. Sophomore Garrett Gilbert proved in the 2nd half of the BCS Title game that the offense designed for Colt McCoy was exactly the offense Gilbert was comfortable running from his days dominating Texas high school football. Look at the numbers: in the first half, behind a run first, conservative game plan, Gilbert endured the worse half possible, going 1-10 with 2 interceptions and -4 yards. Ouch. When Mack and offensive coordinator opened the playbook in the 2nd half, Gilbert lit up the vaunted Alabama defense with 2 long touchdowns to bring Texas within a whisker of the most improbably championship in decades. Watch the tape - the Longhorns didn't outplay Alabama for most of the 2nd half by adjusting the game plan to run the ball - they came within 3 points with under 3 minutes to go because they allowed the talent of their stud QB to play in the system which he committed to playing to when he originally signed with Texas.

I know McCoy can't be replaced. I also know Gilbert is more of a true passer without the escapability or running skills of McCoy (I don't see Gilbert torching A&M for 175 yards on the ground this Thanksgiving). That said, if Mack and the coaches are going to adjust the game plan entirely to focus on the run and misuse the talents of the players brought to Texas to run the offense perfected by their predecessors, Longhorn fans may as well dig in for a few years of OU shellackings and trips to the Alamo Bowl. (which, for those you unaware, is the new destination for the #2 team in the Big 12, replacing the Holiday Bowl)

Mike Leach

A suspension of Texas Tech coach Mike Leach should be the last straw for a coach and a university who have been butting heads since the conclusion of the greatest season in Texas Tech football history.

According to sources, Leach locked a player in an equipment room and then an electrical closet after WR Adam James complained about playing time and after having suffered a concussion. Details are sketchy at this time, but what can't be denied is that Texas Tech seems hellbent on getting rid of the eccentric Pirate loving coach.

I find it hard to believe that Leach would be so stupid to do exactly what everyone seems to say has happened. Head injuries are not sprained ankles. They are not cramps, or strained pcl's. They are serious threats to the future and well being of players. Coaches are not coming out of the woodwork to support Leach. He's refused to make any public announcement except through his attorney. All signs at this point appear to be pointing toward Leach's pending firing.

Let's assume Tech finds out that James's story was overblown, and they want Leach back. Why would he come back? This is the same school that tried as hard as possible to run Leach out of Lubbock last year following his stunning 11-1 regular season finish.

If I'm Leach, I'd just walk away at this point. Tell your side of the story, and resign, citing unrepairable damage done by the Texas Tech administration. There's not a major college program in the country that wouldn't want Leach as an offensive coordinator for 2010. (Florida may be looking at this point, considering their OC is taking over as the interim head coach). He'd be back at a major college program by 2011, without the gillutine that hangs over his head in Lubbock.

Still, my guess is he'll stay to fight it out, and Tech will have him fired by February. Based on his history of treatment of players in 2009, locking a player in isolation wouldn't surprise me in the least (remember - he calls his players out to the media when he loses, and he suspended his team captain earlier this year)

Urban Meyer

First of all - pundits marking this as the greatest coach of the 2000s are a bit overdramatic. Winning at Florida with Jesus is a pretty simple task.

Looking at this retirement/leave of absence, let's get a prediction out. I think Meyer is a legitimate sore loser. ESPN and CNNSI and FOXSPORTS call it his uber-c0mpetitiveness. I call it being such a sore loser that a loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship game makes him feel like he came up short. (As a side note - 2 national titles in a 4 year span make you ANYTHING but a loser). He had chest pains after the game. 3 weeks later he "retires", only to return and say he wants a leave of absence. You know why he wants a leave of absence? So he doesn't have to be the head man at Florida next year when he loses the cornerstone of his spread offense (Tebow) in favor of a pro-style offense (which Meyer has little experience running) and the majority of his dominant defense. Once the Gators lose 4 games with Meyer away, he'll come back to a resounding 2011 campaign and soak up the adulation of fans, commentators, and Gator Nation as the greatest coach in Florida state football history (move aside Bobby Bowden).

Sick? You bet he's sick.

Just Noticed

Have you noticed Texas is 26-1 with Major Applewhite on the coaching staff? Their only loss came at the hands of Texas Tech on the Crabtree miracle.

The final debate on Major vs. Simms should be over. Applewhite is a winner - and makes those around him winners as well.