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I'm Not a Sooner Fan . . . .

SoonerBS

CTG's Judas
Although I follow them closely along with several Big 12 schools because of my location. BUT, I know there are several Texas Longhorn fans on the board and I know that you would want to see this.

July 26, 2006, 1:43AM
A shift in power in the Big 12
With Vince Young's championship heroics in the rearview mirror, Texas is again projected to be looking up to Oklahoma in the South

By TERRANCE HARRIS
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle
KANSAS CITY, MO. — As a stickler for preparation, Texas coach Mack Brown conceivably knew how he would handle questions this week about a national championship repeat moments after Vince Young's triumphant touchdown during January's Rose Bowl.
Brown would do his best to convince the media this preseason that even with the most electrifying player in college football back for his senior season that each year is different.

That would have been Brown's best-case scenario.
But with Young cashing in on his football brilliance a year early in the NFL, Brown is dealing with the reality that not only is there no expectation of a national title repeat, but the media don't believe the Longhorns will defend their Big 12 South Division title.
The Big 12 media picked Oklahoma to win the competitive division in their preseason poll.
"After Vince left, it changed our position nationally," Brown said during Tuesday's Big 12 media session, "because if he had returned people would have thought we would have had a great chance to repeat and now we're not even picked to win our division."
Instead of fighting the hangover of winning a national championship, the Longhorns find themselves in the position of proving there is success after Young.
"We were much more than one guy," UT safety Michael Griffin said. "Our expectations have not dropped. Our fans expect us to win, and they expect coach Brown to never have a losing record.
"The expectation is to always come out with a winning season and never to lose. There are always high expectations placed on the University of Texas."
But with the Longhorns, who are returning 16 starters from last season's 13-0 squad, trying to decide between two inexperienced quarterbacks in redshirt freshman Colt McCoy and freshman Jevan Snead, the expectations in the South have shifted to Oklahoma.
The Sooners, 8-4 this past season, return Heisman Trophy hopeful Adrian Peterson at running back along with quarterback Rhett Bomar and top receiver Malcolm Kelly. They also bring back eight starters on defense, including All-Big 12 linebacker Rufus Alexander.
Texas offensive tackle Justin Blalock relates the OU hype to the Sooners returning what he calls the Triplets — Bomar, Peterson and Kelly. But he's not buying it.
"I really don't get caught up in things like that," Blalock said. "Last year, we didn't start No. 1, but we finished there. If we finish higher than we start, then that's good for me."
For the past several years, the Horns and Sooners have battled for supremacy in the Big 12 South and most expect little to change this season. Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and Baylor are projected to vie for third and below.
"But if you look at the Southern Division in the Big 12, there's two national champions (UT and OU) that have come out of that division over the last six years," Brown said. "So we have a very, very difficult league, and everybody is getting better."
The North Division, meanwhile, is fighting to regain the respect it had during the early years of the conference. After some lean seasons, it appears Nebraska could be ready to reclaim its perch at the top.
The Cornhuskers are picked to supplant Colorado as the North heavyweight. Nebraska, which returns 16 starters, is riding a wave of momentum from last season's 8-4 campaign that included a stirring 32-28 victory over Michigan in the Alamo Bowl.
The high expectations stem from quarterback Zac Taylor's development in Bill Callahan's West Coast offense. Callahan, just two years removed from a rare losing season at Nebraska, says winning the North Division is only the beginning for the Cornhuskers.
"Our goal is always to win a national championship as well," said Callahan, 13-10 after his first two years in Lincoln. "As you look at the history of the Big 12 Conference in the last 12 years, I think only three teams have hit the trifecta — winning the division, the conference and the national title.
"So we always sell it to our players from the aspect of capturing the division first, then winning the Big 12 championship and putting ourselves in the position to be in the (national) title game.
"And that's the essence of this conference competition, and that's what we embrace, and that's what we look forward to and that's the expectation of our program."

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It's going to be very competitive in the South this year and everyone is down on Texas because VY is gone and the QBs are unproven.

Then again the media thinks that VY and 21 guys we picked at random before entering the Rose Bowl won the National Championship last year. Most couldn't name our 3rd and 4th receivers, let alone our starting DEs, LBs, and DBs from one of the best defenses in the country.

Watch the UNT game at 12 pm on Sept 2 to see how the QBs do and then watch tOSU v. NIU at 3 p.m. to see how the Bucks do on D in general and against Wolfe and the run specifically. I honestly think, if you had to bet the Texas v. tOSU matchup, that Texas will be getting value b/c the public is sooooooo focused on VY not being there and downplays the losses to the Bucks' D. Texas catching a FG or more is cash (although I doubt it will be that high)!
 
They're already catching +1 in future bets. They could be up to a FG by gametime. Whatever the line is, I'm on Texas!
 
rjurewitz said:
You're probably right. But I think they'll be catching points.

I don't think they will...last year Texas opened at -1 and it was OSU -3 at kick..bouncing between 2.5 and 3...I expect similar thing this year...I think the Bucks will be catching pts..between 2 and 3...
 
JumpOnBoard said:
I don't think they will...last year Texas opened at -1 and it was OSU -3 at kick..bouncing between 2.5 and 3...I expect similar thing this year...I think the Bucks will be catching pts..between 2 and 3...

This goes back to public perception and the influence on the line. Both schools have big-time backers so those should cancel out. The public though will look at VY's departure as a HUGE loss and see tOSU with Smith and Ginn back, revenge slot, etc. and lay the points.

Just my opinion on the line movement once the public gets on board.
 
I look for Texas to test the "new" tOSU defensive front. I see them playing some power football and running a lot with Charles. This would allow the big offensive line of Texas to control the game and take the pressure off whoever will be QB.
 
PlayWithMe said:
I look for Texas to test the "new" tOSU defensive front. I see them playing some power football and running a lot with Charles. This would allow the big offensive line of Texas to control the game and take the pressure off whoever will be QB.

this is what I pray happens...the front seven will be tOSU's strength..it's the back four where the real inexperience is...Pidcock and Patterson, the two DT's, are the two returning starters, and the best they've had in tandem since Garnett and Finkes Katzenmoyer's frosh year...the ends played a lot last year too, esp L Wilson in the 2nd half when Patterson moved over and Green played less....if Texas really hurts tOSU's D, it's going to be testing the young d'backs through the air...prolly opposite Jenkins, whether it's Donald Washington or Andre Amos...
 
7/26/2006 12:16:00 PMThe Texas Two-Step


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Texas running back Selvin Young says that the arm of freshman QB Jevan Snead (above) is something to behold.
Photo by AP


Texas coach Mack Brown and players took their turn at Big 12 media days Tuesday, and, not surprisingly, nearly all the questions centered around a familiar theme: Who's going to replace Vince?

Coming out of spring, the two contenders, redshirt freshman Colt McCoy and true freshman Jevan Snead, remained too close to separate, with Brown acknowledging both will play early on. Not surprisingly, the idea of a quarterback platoon -- particularly that second week against Ohio State -- doesn't sit well with most Longhorns followers after their experience with Chris Simms/Major Applewhite. "We will not worry about public perception at all," Brown said Tuesday. "Our job is to win games. So because people got mad over two before, that will not affect us in any way."

According to the Dallas Morning News, tailback Selvin Young, former roommate of that other Young, has spent much of his free time this summer mentoring the new QBs. Both are considered heady, mobile (though hardly Vince-level) guys. "The one big difference is that Snead has a Brett Favre-like arm," said Selvin Young. "His arm will blow you away."

My guess is that Snead, a U.S. Army All-America selection last year, will eventually win out due to that very reason. The fact is, the defending champs are still loaded with talent at the other skill positions. You know you're deep at tailback when last year's leader in all-purpose yards, Ramonce Taylor, announces he's transferring, and the near-universal reaction is, "Oh well -- more carries for Jamaal Charles."

Therefore, UT offensive coordinator Greg Davis will likely lean heavily on the running game, much like he did during the 'Horns' 11-1 season two years ago, but he's not going to be able to count on the quarterback to make big plays with his feet the way Vince did. Those game-changing moments are going to have to come in the form of deep passes off of play-action. We know the 'Horns have the receivers -- Limas Sweed, Billy Pittman, Quan Cosby -- to do it. It would make sense that the QB with the stronger arm has a better chance of making it happen.
 
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