Saban Sticks Around

Saban stays...and gets more money. What a surprise. Tide fans breathe asigh of relief. Teas fans? Not sure how they feel. If Texas could have pulled Saban away from Alabama then what would that say about the future of the sport where the Longhorns could outbid anyone even the Tide? I also found it funny that folks were talking about the notion that Saban is a builder and would have been attracted to rebuilding Texas. Ummm, it's not Indiana or Kansas or Colorado. The Longhorns did nearly reach a BCS game this season. Meanwhile who is next for Texas?

Austin Angst

We have only played two weeks of football and Texas coach Mack Brown has already made the first panic move of 2013.  With the entire coaching staff feeling pressure to return the Longhorns to the national title race--Texas is 21-16 in the three seasons since their most recent national title game appearance following the 2009 season--DC Manny Diaz was demoted after the squad lost to BYU 40-21 Saturday night.  Being that the Texas program is the most financially sound in the country they had the wherewithal to have former Texas and Michigan DC Gregg Robinson on hand as an analyst and he now takes over the D.
The Texas defense has underachieved but one game does not make a season.  And playing BYU--who ran all over the Horns for 550y--while building a defense that needs to stop the likes of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State is a difficult task.  This is generally true of the Big 12 as a whole as their defenses have to be built to play the explosive offenses found in conference which leaves them at times struggling against out of conference foes.
The main problem with the Texas program is one of perception.  Fans feel that Texas is not playing to a perceived level of talent and the desire of a fan base spoiled with a 2005 national title and 2009 national runner up spot is to always win 11-13 games.  The perception is that coach Mack Brown cannot keep up with newer systems.  Of course not recruiting Johnny Manziel as a QB or current flavor of the month Jameis Winston of Florida State at all is putting more nails in the coffin.
The 2013 season can be saved with better play.  Knock off Ole Miss Saturday and then hold serve against struggling Kansas State and Iowa State and the Longhorns will be 4-1 entering OU week.  Let's see what happens.

Northeast Hosting Top College Football Programs

As a traditionalist I am not a fan of the many changes being made in conferences around the nation.  But one of the benefits of said change is that a number of top-notch programs will be traveling to my neck of the woods for games this season and I look forward to taking a few short road trips.  Here is a travel planner for the local RV owner:
Labor Day Weekend: After enjoying the Rhode Island at Fordham tilt under the lights at Rose Hill (shameless plug) on Thursday the 29th, head to the Meadowlands for the Penn State versus Syracuse battle as a homage to the old days of Eastern football.  Then head west for Monday's Pitt-Florida State contest, their first pairing since 1983.
Next we jump to September 14 when a Stanford program that has become one of the stronger in the country travels to West Point to play Army.  While the game should be a mismatch--but the Cardinal do have to travel cross country!--it will be a rare opportunity to see a team with top ten aspirations play at Michie.
The following weekend we have rare visits from not one but two major programs, although with differing expectations for 2013.  Rebuilding Arkansas is the rare SEC West program allowed out of their region when they head to New Jersey to play a Rutgers team that beat them in Arkansas in 2012.  On the same day Michigan will play UConn at Rentschler Field in Hartford, where an additional 2,000 seats are being put in to increase the total to a "whopping" 42,000.  There are a large number of Michigan fans in this area but many will have too wait a season to see the Wolverines hit the East Coast as they are scheduled to play at Rutgers in 2014.  Meanwhile I am not counting this one, but if tickets to those two games are too expensive go see UMass host an improving Vanderbilt.
On September 28 if you missed FSU week one you can travel to Boston for their road game against Boston College.  Yeah I know that does not thrill me either.  But you can then go to a local sports bar and watch possibly important AL East games as the Bosox are at Baltimore that evening.
The following week we have one potential top twenty team venturing to the far north for their first time and another that comes annually. Clemson travels to Syracuse for a game that will now be a strange rivalry--again I hate that Syracuse now plays teams like the Tigers but I can enjoy seeing Clemson play football live which I rarely get to do.  If that is just too odd, then head to Philly and watch a Louisville team that is aiming for a 12-0 record take on Temple.
On October 12 we have another Michigan sighting, although more inland.  The Wolverines play Penn State for the first time since 2010 and, well, since all of the madness out in State College.  You'll get some gawkers.
Take a few weeks off to enjoy the national college football scene and major league playoffs.  For the next few weeks there are no notable out-of-town teams paying our area a visit.
On the weekend on November 9 you have a chance for a fun weekend.  On Friday November 8 you can enjoy the fun scene for a UConn home game when they host Louisville.  Then on Saturday you may have to shake off your hangover as you have two options--both requiring a ride west.  Notre Dame travels to Pitt, which they do often.  But we also have another interesting option and that is Texas, another program that rarely heads up our way, traveling to Morgantown to play new "rival" West Virginia.  Again I do not care for West Virginia moving to the Big 12 but I do not think that I have seen Texas live in 20 years or so.  Both of the starting times for those games are to be determined.  Oh, by the way, the Steelers play at home that Sunday against Buffalo.
To close out the fun we have Nebraska traveling to Penn State on November 23 and then if you are desperate for something Thanksgiving Friday, Miami traveling to Pitt on the 29th.
So there are a lot of options for some rare sightings.  Get your field glasses and enjoy.

What We Learned Saturday

Yet another exciting Saturday of college football as Wisconsin stunned Ohio State, Steve Spurrier and Florida both lost and Nebraska still has some work to do to become a national title contender.

With the game at night Camp Randall was rocking even more than usual and no. 1 Ohio State was knocked down at the opening bell thanks to WR David Gilreath's 97y scoring return of opening kickoff. They then were further beaten down by allowing two TD runs by big RB John Clay, who rushed for 104y. The Badgers dominated in the trenches early in putting the Buckeyes in a deep 21-0 hole. But the Buckeyes showed some mettle by reeling off 18 straight points over the course of the middle of the game. Unfortunately for them, Wisconsin showed even more mettle by answering with the game's final 10 pts. The reward for Wisconsin? A trip to Iowa; the Hawkeyes have won six of the last eight games played in that series.

Florida has lost three straight games. As someone who really does not like Urban Meyer, I was pretty happy about the game effort turned in by Mississippi State. I also did not see the outcome as some huge upset as the Gators have had issues all year and the Bulldogs have been playing tough since hiring head coach Dan Mullen away from Meyer's staff (more about that later in the week). Meanwhile Auburn is getting a lot attention as they remain undefeated, but come on now. Arkansas brought in a little-used back-up--albeit a talented kid--and he ripped apart their defense. If QB Cam Newton was merely good, Auburn would have a couple of losses.

Meanwhile, how well did Mack Brown sleep last night? Texas went from annual national title contender to also ran after two losses. But the team gave a more complete effort than in either of their losses and should be back on track for future dominance. The Huskers, meanwhile, showed that an over-reliance on a freshman QB can sometimes haunt you. The bigger issue--as it well may be for Auburn soon--is that a fast rise from good-to-solid, at times mediocre--to suddenly great is difficult for a collection of kids. Nebraska went from a 2-TD dog to Texas last year to a 10-pt favorite this year. The team could not handle their sudden thrust into that position. Head coach Bo Pelini has to get his charges re-focused quickly as Oklahoma State and Missouri are next up for the Huskers. They are a combined 12-0.

So it was another great day for college football. Meanwhile the big game today for the NFL? A battle of over-rated "powers" Minnesota and Dallas.

Remember When

It is funny that the upcoming battle between Texas and Texas Tech is being presented as a revenge game for the Longhorns and not an annual tussle between conference rivals. True, Texas is an elite program but they should ignore the talents of the Red Raiders at their own peril. The set-up is eerliy similar to the last time Texas hosted their rivals from Lubbock one year after losing in the rivalry. In 2002, the Red Raiders stunned then no. 4 Texas, 42-38, as QB Kliff Kingsbury threw 6 TD passes and WR Wes Welker gained 247y all-purpose. For the "revenge" match in 2003, Texas was favored by 18.5 points as the nation expected payback. Instead, the game was competitive throughout with Texas needing a late TD drive engineered by a back-up QB.

In the first of a series featuring a recap of a previous battle between teams scheduled for play each week, Sunday Morning Quarterbacks presents the narrative summing up Texas's narrow victory over Texas Tech in 2003 from our book The USA Today College Football Encyclopedia (wherever fine books are sold!).


TEXAS 43 Texas Tech 40: Texas (9-2) coach Mack Brown took chance, and it paid off as former starting QB Chance Mock was inserted with just less than 2 mins left and led winning 86y drive. Mock, in relief of QB Vince Young (16-25/213y, 2 TDs, 2 INTs), completed 54y pass to WR Roy Williams (8/136y) to jumpstart Longhorns before tossing winning 9y TD pass to WR B.J. Johnson with 46 secs remaining. Texas Tech (7-4) had rallied from 35-21 deficit, scoring go-ahead TD on 11y run by RB Taurean Henderson, his 3rd of game, to convert FUM by Young. Once Texas regained lead, Red Raiders QB B.J. Symons (32-56/365y, 3 TDs) had time to drive his O unit to 48y FG ATT, which K Keith Toogood missed wide left as time ran out. Texas RB Cedric Benson rushed for 142y and 2 TDs.