Football Articles
Texas Tech Post-Mortem: Texas – Preparation Meets Opportunity
Posted by dedfischer on November 4th, 2008 under Football, Uncategorized
A Trench Affair To Remember
Damn, what a dramatic finish and we tried our best to tighten up and blow this thing. I’ve had a chance to review the game and it revealed a lot of inaccuracies I had in my generalizations from watching it live. DVR has changed the game of football for me. In lieu of something overly sentimental or a lame attempt at humor, I just decided to jump right in this thing. I think the Red Raider Nation understands the significance of this game, and I can’t add anything that someone else hasn’t already mentioned. I get just as much of a kick out of watching the replay as I do live, and usually I’ve got my emotions under control by then, and can actually identify what the real story line of the game was. My conclusion: UT got lucky as shit they didn’t get an Aggie embarrassment laid on them.
It was love at first sight for Marlon Winn and Sergio Kindle.
The MVP of this game for Tech should be strength and conditioning coach Bennie Wylie. He has completely transformed the type of players we are putting on the field. We were physically stronger than UT at every position outside of Orakpo and the 5 plays that Roy Miller didn’t take off in the game on both sides of the ball. There were some blatant holding calls that weren’t missed and some down right muggings in instances, especially early in the game as our experienced OL adjusted to the increased speed of the opponent. However, once settled in towards the end of the 1st quarter, they returned to their routine mauling style of play and it didn’t take long for the Texas front to start caving. Any Longhorn fan that moans about the holding in this game is simply in denial about what was happening physically at the LOS.
Any DT we inserted into our lineup, whether starter or backup, physically tossed the UT guards 2 yards in the backfield. It was absolutely brutal and every bit the physical beatdown they gave the KSU, A&M and Kansas OLs. Even Richard Jones looked like an all conference player in this game. Texas was more competitive up front on the DL primarily due to Orakpo rushing the passer, but he was mostly rendered useless in the run game and finished many of those snaps being hooked and bent over by Rylan Reed. Lamarr Houston shut things down at the 1:50 mark of the 1st quarter after getting pile drived by Stephen Hamby and Brandon Carter on a double team. Roy Miller would soon join him at the 0:32 second mark of the first quarter after falling victim to an earholing, decleater by Carter, who after getting appropriately scouted by Muschamp, was having trouble early in the game adjusting to Miller. Outside of 1 snap in the 3rd quarter, Miller chose to take most of the game off once his initial push was stonewalled. Sergio Kindle had about 2 or 3 bright spots, but mostly got slapped around by Marlon Winn as did the other bodies rolled out there. Altogther, there were maybe 15 snaps at most in the game, where UT won the battle at the line of scrimmage on either side of the ball. About 10 or 12 were by their DL and maybe 3 or 4 by their OL. With all do respect to Mr. Anderson, we were pushing Texas around in the run game not simply taking advantage of angles and numerical mismatches. I didn’t think the offensive skill players were executing at peak capacity. Harrell and the WRs missed a lot of plays they’ve been making in the red zone, and this thing should have been about 38-3 at the half, or 38-10, if you concede Shipley’s drop. You can’t complain about a win over UT, but the lack of big game experience seemed to cause the offense to tighten up a little bit and was playing more to not make mistakes. Which was enough to win, so this is nitpicking. This was just a physical mismatch along the line on both sides of the ball and it’s been a long time since a Texas team has been handled like that up front. Getting Fozzy Whitakker more carries with that blocking only would have been risking injury.
McNeill called another outstanding half of football in the first 2 quarters, and hit on some nice calls in the 3rd and 4th. However, we got a little too conservative and comfortable with our lead in the 2nd half and yielded a scoring drive to Texas where we rolled primarily with Jake Ratliff and Sandy Riley at DE, and played a heavy dose of cover 4 zone. This predictably allowed McCoy time to complete a bevy of 8-10 yard routes. And then, we gave up a 91 yard TD playing Cover 4 prevent defense with our slowest corner against UT’s fastest WR. When playing man under 2 deep and allowing the combination of B. Williams, Dixon, Whitlock and Jones to rush the passer, the defense mirrored results of it’s performance against Kansas and A&M. We’ve outscored our opponents 87-2 over the last three games in quarters where we play a higher percentage of man than zone. I had to rub my eyes and replay it 4 times after witnessing Marlon Williams successfully shed a guard in this game.
And you know what, I can’t even believe that’s what happened, but it’s all right there on film. Sure surprised the shit out of me as I never expected it to look like that. Make of it what you like: Tech was fired up, UT was worn down, refs called holding, yada, yada, yada. Tech rolled up 32 points with their B game on offense as most errors were self-inflicted of the execution nature, i.e. missed blocking assignment/dropped ball/bad play call. The one real bright spot for the Texas defense was their outstanding work against the Tech screen game. Muckelroy was spying Batch out of the backfield, whenever in the game, and he was one of two guys on the Texas front 5, who played with a full motor the whole game. There were a lot of guys, who stepped up for their teams and there were too many critical plays throughout to single any one out. At the end of the day, the Red Raiders had the best player on the field and this particular Tech team would win 6 to 8 games against this Texas team out of 10. We’re just better this year. Obviously, we haven’t accomplished anything yet other than beating a UT team that’s short from their normal standard of trench talent. That’s not always the case, but that’s what it is this year.
Offense
Leach bumped his record to 30-3 since 2005, when the RB position eclipses the 20 touch number in a game. Woods and Batch finished with 29 touches for 134 yards and a TD, which proved to be sufficient to open things up in the passing game. After an efficient first half that finished with 22 points on the board, things got sloppy for the Red Raiders, which allowed UT to creep back into the game with 3 big plays. That’s the thing about Texas and teams with uber-talent at the skill position. Whip their ass all over the field, and then miss 3 snaps and it’s a ball game. Still, 32 points was enough to uphold their end of the bargain in what turned out to be a ”team” victory by both the OL and DL.
Quarterback
One guy, who was executing properly, is now Heisman favorite Graham Harrell. I thought the best thing Harrell did in this game was protect the football and not force any plays. The sack by Miller was definitely not on him, but he got too comfortable in the pocket on the other sacks and should have thrown the ball away in those cases. I won’t complain as most of them were hard fought attempts at extending the play. It was by no means his best game of the season, but at the end of the day, Harrell made the play he had to. Outstanding work, and a critic silencing performance with regards to his Heisman potential. He managed this game about as well as you could given the speed UT presented up front, specifically early in the game. Harrell’s avoidance of turnovers in these situations has been his biggest improvement from last year. For delivering like the postman, Harrell was my offensive MVP.
Running Backs
Woods and Batch each fulfilled their obligations in this game with physical running, and one of their best games at reading blocks. Some of those creases they squeezed through weren’t huge, but they very rarely failed at directing their kinetic energy in the proper direction. Batch, in particular, made a ankle-breaking cutback and finished off a long gainer by running over poor Earl Thomas. Woods also had some outstanding work as always in pass protection.
Wide Receivers
Crabtree won his $3 million bet with Jeremy Maclin, and ran over any DB attempting to jam him outside of Curtis Brown and Aaron Williams, who will both be damn good players. Outside of a couple of drops by Ed Britton and Tramain Swindall, and a missed blocking assignment by the normally reliable Adam James, this group had little problems getting open against the young secondary of Texas. Ryan Hale had a particularly impressive pancaking of Sergio Kindle on a counter type play.
Offensive Line
These guys deserve some extra ink this week, as do the DL, so I’m going to get into a little more detail with these two units than I normally do. The trench matchup with UT has been one I’ve looked forward to all year as I thought we matched up better than we ever have against Texas. Both OL and DL units for Tech were the difference in this game.
We learned in this game early that Rylan Reed’s IQ is higher than the aggegrate total of the entire UT OL. He struggled in pass protection in the 1st quarter, while adjusting to Orakpo’s speed, but an assortment of armbar and rear naked choke attempts kept him in the match. By mid-2nd quarter, Reed had him under control. I hated to see Orakpo go down as he was the one guy on the UT DL, who played hard for most of his snaps, but he was a liability in the run game against Reed, and succumbed to several reach blocks for big gainers around his end. This was one of Reed’s better run blocking performances.
Louis Vasquez showed up to play this week and treated Lamarr Houston like a 275 lb guy trying to play DT in the Big 12 with the run game. Muschamp had done his film work and decided to test Mankind’s manhood by lining up Roy Miller to challenge him. This actually made me poop my pants a little at first, especially after the first series and a Miller sack. However, after obtaining the services of Stephen Hamby, these two guys effectively roughed up Miller enough by the end of the first quarter to knock the edge off. Outside of a couple of plays in the 3rd quarter, Miller was basically serving as fodder for the Tech run game. We chose to chip block him in single team situations and allow him to run himself out of plays. Matt Moore might be the best in-game OL coach in the country. He always seems to get things patched up by the start of the 2nd quarter. This game was no different.
Marlon Winn proved once again that he is the nastiest right tackle in this conference, which is a quality I tend to value in OL. Like all of the Tech OL, he struggled early in pass protection adjusting to Kindle’s speed, but once he settled in and determined the correct angles, Winn started playing mind games with him. Kindle hadn’t played a guy all year that was badder than he was, but after a couple of head slaps, and Winn subtly ripping out his larynx and handing it to him, Kindle’s speed attempts weren’t so speedy. Bull rushing became a matter of self defense. The psychological impact of little things like this cannot be underestimated and typically pay dividends in the run game, which they did.
Overall, this unit was just a lot smarter than their adversary. That Virginia DL in the Gator Bowl was one of the best I’ve ever witnessed and contained three 1st round potential guys at the time in Chris Long, Jeffrey Fitzgerald and Clint Sintim. The experience gained in that matchup of playing someone better than you proved to be valuable in this contest. We never really adjusted to Virginia, but merely survived, as those dudes had some non-stop motors. Every player on the UT DL was a step faster than the Tech OL, but by being physical early at the risk of some holding penalties and making them pay for loafing, they effectively had half their guys jogging by the 2nd quarter. If UT fans want something to be pissed about, be pissed about how many plays those guys left on the field by quitting too early on the play.
Defense
Ruffin McNeill, you have nothing left to prove to me and you are perfectly capable of taking this young and talented unit to the next level. We’re going to be young at safety next year, and one or two of the talented true freshman, may end up having to log significant minutes, but this front 7 returns everyone and they’re only going to get better. McNeill came out of the box aggressive in the first playing 2 deep man under coverage. He must have challenged the manhood of the guys up front for the beatdown they took in Austin last year as they came out ready to play from the first snap to the last, and successfully defended the run game with an honest front. Texas couldn’t accomplish this feat against Tech’s OL and that was ultimately the difference in the game as we were allowed to simplify jobs for our secondary players and compensate for talent shortcomings. Until we knocked their possession receiver out of the game and allowed the next great, young WR in this league to become a significant part of the game plan. When you really break this down, and I consider coverage units part of defense, they really only allowed 3 plays the entire game. If there’s one criticism, I thought McNeill tapped the breaks a little too early, especially after yielding a punt return to start the 2nd half. To his credit, zone coverage did bait McCoy into a pick 6 that a man scheme wouldn’t have produced. That proved to be a critical play in the game, so one could argue the decision to resort back to soft zone coverage in the second half, could be chalked up as good coaching. I’ll let you decide.
Defensive Tackle
I’m getting warmed up now. Cedric Dockery, Charlie Tanner and Chris Hall all were award winners of a free T-shirt from the Tortilla Retort with a Ned Beatty monogram emblazoned on it. They had two options mid-way through the first quarter: (1) Fight and survive. (2) Draw straws on the sidelines to see who got Mondays off from the Sisterhood treatment they were being given by any DT Tech rolled out there. They unanimously voted for option #2.
Colby Whitlock played the best game at DT I’ve witnessed in college football this season. Granted, I haven’t seen all the teams play on a natiowide scale, but I sure I haven’t found anything about a DT being responsible for arguably 8 to 12 points in a ball game. He was effectively serving as our noseguard and MLB. The most GD close-to-perfect game I’ve ever seen a Red Raider DT have. There are a lot of guys on this defense, who were deserving of the award, but after re-watching the game, I’m just floored by how valuable he is to this team and there’s no one else more deserving of the defensive MVP award.
Dude came to play for 60 minutes and I still want to see him as our blocking FB in goalline situations. If Tech runs the table, this guy right here is the defensive MVP of this conference. He’s the most dominating defensive player in the Big 12 right now, and if Roy Miller had half the motor of Whitlock, he should be joining him on the All American team. And don’t let any Sooners, Longhorns, or Cowboys try to tell you he would be running second string on their units as he’s playing more consistently at a high level than any DL on their rosters, especially considering what we ask him to do. Just face it, we hit the recruiting jackpot, and if you don’t respect him, he’ll penalize you 2 points the first snap of the game for not watching enough film. I knew he was better than anything we’ve had around here in a while, but I didn’t think he was capable of taking over a game and playing basically 3 gaps in each direction. This just goes to show you that Ruffin McNeill knows his personnel much better than I do. When the season started, I didn’t think we could play Texas with an honest front. An offseason in the weight room for Whitlock and slapping a physical, film-junkie MLB behind him, and I ain’t scared of nobody’s power running game in this league testing the middle of this front. That includes you Cowboy fans. Whitlock won’t get the postseason accolades he deserves, but I believe all that shit I just wrote is true and you’re not changing my mind. Yes, I’m biased.
Damn, it’s fun to write sunshine pumping articles and I know my typically objective assessments, may lean a little too much to the subjective side, but screw you, I want to enjoy this. Which takes me to the next guy. Richard Jones. I thought he might be a weak link in this chain going into the game, despite his consistent level of play lately. He proved me deadass wrong and jumped right in the middle of the abuse of the UT guards. Even Brandon Sesay got in on the action. The inside pressure created by the Tech DTs throughout the game was a very underrated difference in the outcome of the final score. They dominated in the run game allowing our LBs and DBs to focus on coverage, and were very disciplined in maintaining there rushing lanes to close the running alleys McCoy typically exploits. Casual fans may not understand the magnitude of this achievement.
Unfortunately for the UT guards, Burt Reynolds would not make an appearance in this contest.
Defensive Ends
I think Brian Orakpo and Brandon Williams are much closer to the same level of player than either is to Chris Long. That guy’s in a league of his own. Orakpo came out firing and gave Rylan Reed everything he could handle and more to start the game, and only a couple of unflagged sleeper holds managed to slow him down. He’s no doubt a load as a speed rusher off the edge, and will certainly enjoy a career of making millions doing it. Orakpo will struggle the first couple of years in the pros against NFL tackles in the run game, but his work ethic will get him over the hump. He’s more John Abraham than Michael Strahan, which isn’t a bad thing. It’s not fair to Brandon Williams to discredit his 2 sacks due to the idiocy of a coaching staff attempting to pass block him with a backup TE. It still counts and he straight up out-performed Orakpo in the running game. They’re still the two best DEs in this conference.
McKinner Dixon is the kind of guy, who is now serving as role player on this team, but in past years, would be the bell cow. Due to a history of knee problems, Dixon doesn’t possess the explosive first step that he originally came to campus with as a true freshman. That hasn’t prevented him from becoming one of the most complete DEs in this conference. Every step Dixon takes gets him closer to the ball. I’ve never understand why McKinner struggled in the classroom early. I know he’s not dumb as he has a much better understanding of leverage than T. Boone Pickens, and geometry isn’t an issue either. Daniel Howard is a good example of how Ruffin McNeill might be using his players with specialized skillsets better than any DC in the conference right now.
Linebackers
Brian Duncan is the third player deserving of first team all conference honors in the Tech front 7. Charlie Tanner got to his legs on a cut block and he dropped too early in coverage on a draw play, outside of that, perfection. There’s not a more complete LB in college football as a run stuffer and pass defender. You need to have a guy like Whitlock playing in front of you to consistently perform at his level, but I’m saving $200 a year by having Duncan run diagnostics on my annual car tune up.
Marlon Williams has quietly developed from a shetland pony in a cutting horse futurity into a serviceable 3 year old that will make someone a nice ranch horse. He’s become almost, dare I say this, good at keeping the screen game in front of him, which is all we need him to do. Either Brandon prodded him with a hotshot on his way by, or Ruffin embedded a rocket in his ass, on that blitz as that’s a burst I’ve never seen from Marlon. This was the best game of his career and a convenient part of the schedule for Marlon to decide to join us as his intestinal fortitude will be put to the limit this week with the Cowboy power option game.
Bront Bird was what he’s been all season, which is dependable and steady. He’s serviceable at making the plays he is supposed to, or at a minimum, can tie things up long enough for Duncan to show up. We don’t need any more than that given the level of our DL play right now.
Cornerbacks
Jamar Wall was right where he needed to be for most of the night, and the model of how we should recruit CBs in the near term. The best athlete from a small 4A school, who played RB by default. We’ll get our pick of the litter on these guys over the likes of TCU.
Brent Nickerson, keep your head up young man. You got burned badly by Shipley, but it’s arguable that your not quitting on the play is why he dropped the ball, which ultimately could have been the difference in the ball game. Malcom Williams is going to make a lot more talented DBs than you look silly before it’s all said and done. You just happened to be the first to find out, and the effort was never to be questioned. However, you may not be starting next year, if one of the 50 DBs we’re signing pan out. It’s a product of improved recruiting, but you’ve been an integral part of getting there, and for that, I will always be indebted to your services. Good luck in the spring and fall, and don’t go down without a fight. I’m hoping you pull through. In a way.
Safeties
I like guys like Daniel Charbonnet at safety, who make a lot of big plays, but concede deep balls from time to time. You need somewhat of an intuitive gambler in your secondary and nobody plays this role better than Charb.
Darcel McBath remained physical in this game, but the first Williams TD was all on him. Wall had inside deep help on the play and McBath just missed it. Other than that, he was solid.
Conclusion
This is my honest opinion. I wouldn’t trade one guy on their team for any of ours. Even though guys like McKinner Dixon and Richard Jones don’t have the size, power, or explosive first step, they’re tougher and play harder from whistle to whistle. Our coaching staff and players were ready for this game and we had 11 guys going full speed on every snap, even during the bad plays. This perseverance paid off in the end and they deserved to win, as we squarely kicked their ass in a game that was not near as close as the score indicated.
Also, check out Scipio Tex’s review over at the Barking Carnival.
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david said:
November 4th, 2008 at 8:44 am
OkSt running game—Can we shut it down?
dedfischer said:
November 4th, 2008 at 8:50 am
We’re as ready as we’ll ever be.
Vasherized said:
November 4th, 2008 at 9:16 am
OkSt running game—Can we shut it down?
If they line up out of the I in their endzone, then yes.
But they’re not stupid enough to do that, so no.
I think Okie State moves the ball pretty well against you guys. They have the most balanced offense in the country and legit threats all over the field with Hunter, Pettigrew, and Bryant.
Texas was pretty handcuffed without Cosby or a TE capable of blocking or catching the football.
Gundy is always capable of playcalling meltdowns in the 4th quarter (see Texas game) and Leach seems to have reigned in his brash disregard for kicking/punting, so it’s who can keep their cool in the fourth quarter and execute. Maybe throw the ball to that Crabtree kid a whole bunch of times and just see what happens.
I doubt Okie State digs the kind of hole Texas did. There’s not much pressure on them and it’s hard to picture Tech maintaining the emotional and physical intensity you showed against us.
I actually see a similar score to last week’s game except in Okie State’s favor.
A blogger from Double T nation was on Chip Brown’s show here on ESPN 1530 radio last week and predicted a Tech victory over Texas 39-34. So maybe ask him …
Dedfischer,
You were dead on in predicting the performances of B. Williams, M. Williams, and M. Dixon. They stepped up and delivered a hell of a game. I was particularly impressed with Marlon Williams and his Orkish ability to vanquish the ballcarrier while preternaturally celebrating his physique.
Trying to block Brandon Williams off the edge with our 3rd string TE/OT is like nominating I TT ON U as Lubbock’s MENSA representative. Yet another decision we’d like to have back from Greg Davis.
Don’t take Okie State lightly, they could leave you with similar regrets next week. Watching Bryant and Crabtree go head to head will be a treat.
RolloTamasi said:
November 4th, 2008 at 9:37 am
I still say that a committment to the running game early by Texas with Fozzy and McGee pays dividends. It often takes a quarter to warm up the OL to run-blocking but the time of possession would have been a lot different.
Similarly, using more 5-wide or trips formations in the 1st half would have allowed Texas to move the ball more in the first half. Obviously that was the difference.
JOETHEPLUMBER said:
November 4th, 2008 at 9:43 am
Deadfisher – Is this the same guy that was blasting my man Ruff a few weeks back? Don’t wanna say I told you so but I told you so and yes I do know Ruff and No I did not give him any of your suggestions. Just told him about a couple of new eating establishments that he needed to try. One was Bevo’s Where’s the Beef Now and The Other was the All You Can Eat Longhorn Steakhouse. This week will be Cowboy’s Catering on a Platter and Stillwater Dry Mouth.
Thanks,
Joe The Plumber
ixeos said:
November 4th, 2008 at 9:46 am
Our defense is totally legit:
http://tinyurl.com/54pcto
TexasFan101 said:
November 4th, 2008 at 9:50 am
I realize in this analysis you accurately state Tech was physically dominant in this game. I agree. However, I think you have decided to ignore the fact that Texas was on game four of a very physical stretch. Tech is just starting theirs and it will be a true test to see if they can hold up. The OSU game was brutal and might be a larger factor in the effort and effectiveness of the Texas line than sheer match ups. Don’t want this to sound like a cop-out, because I don’t mean it that way. Tech played one hell of a game, at home, with the nation watching. Two more of those to go and good luck with that.
Knostrathomas said:
November 4th, 2008 at 9:51 am
Nice read. No special teams mention? Brett Dewhurst invoking sweet memories of Dwayne Slay on a 2nd half kick-off was nice to see.
I agree about not trading anyone on our roster for a UT player, but I might have to consider the rugby punter. He was their MVP.
I TT ON U said:
November 4th, 2008 at 9:54 am
Yeah Brent, just hang in their, help is on the way.
Hopefully LA can step up quickly.
Orangechipper said:
November 4th, 2008 at 9:55 am
Good writeup. Disagreed on the winning 6 of 10 times malarky. If you qualified it with…
“Win 6 out of ten times AT TECH” I’d agree.
NM99 said:
November 4th, 2008 at 10:24 am
“I thought McNeill tapped the breaks a little too early, especially after yielding a punt return to start the 2nd half. To his credit, zone coverage did bait McCoy into a pick 6 that a man scheme wouldn’t have produced. That proved to be a critical play in the game, so one could argue the decision to resort back to soft zone coverage in the second half, could be chalked up as good coaching.”
The INT was pretty, indeed. But after Texas scored the next touchdown, exploiting the zone coverage, I would have liked to see McNiel switch back to the 1st half defense instead of letting McCoy march down the field through the parade ground that is our zone pass protection. He is reluctant to make changes between series and usually waits until the other team has scored twice before making the change. In a 2 score ballgame, that’s at least 1 score too late. I have to think that when McCoy came back out on the field and read zone, he licked his chops and said to himself, “I’m about to lead us back.” We almost let him. Actually, we did.
And Whitlock is the man.
Great write up.
RRR said:
November 4th, 2008 at 10:25 am
Very motivating, ded. Watched the first half of the Nevada game last night, and it’s all the same sets, formations, even personnel to a large degree. A lot more zone defense, maybe. The difference is better reaction time and assertiveness. Game by game this defense has become more confident, and Ruff has gotten a great feel for what his players do best and how to use it.
Marlon Williams may be the poster-child for this improvement. Sesay’s a good candidate as well, basically learning a new position.
Regarding Dixon, I’ve dreamed of him having off-season surgery and fixing that knee, but maybe it is what it is. And you know what, I’ll take it. Not sure how many times I have to see him recognize play-action roll-out to his side, flow along the LOS and stay in the passing lane, then chase the QB out of bounds before I start tearing up.
Tim said:
November 4th, 2008 at 10:41 am
Ded, once again great write up, I am looking forward to how you break down the Okie State game.
If I got a burnt orange t-shirt every time I have heard a UT fan bitch about holding since Sunday. I could head down to Laredo, set-up a shirt stand on the corner and be a rich man by Thursday.
These guys are ridiculous, I guess they have short term memories because holding calls are part of what cost us the game in Austin in 2007. Back in 2006 the refs literally stole the game from Texas Tech with bad spots.
Even if Rylan Reed was holding on a couple of plays, UT fans and Mack Brown need to STFU they have received more “gifts” in football games than any other team in the Nation.
Seeing Colby Whitlock bend Colt McCoy over and drive him into the ground, only to watch Colt start grabbing his lip in pain, made me shed a small tear of joy. Whitlock is a beast, I met the guy at Suds’ n Sounds’ this summer and had a really good drunken conversation with him.
I asked him if Chris Perry was going to be taking his position from him. He told me that there isn’t anyone that wants it more and Ruff knows that he’s got the best motor on the team. This summer he also predicted that he would get to McCoy and Bradford.
Our offense was definitely not clicking on all cylinders against UT. If we would have it could have gotten a lot worse for UT. Unfortunately some terrible calls by the refs kept them in the game.
Oh well, in the end we beat them and they really have no valid excuses to lean on, they got beat in every aspect of the game.
Has anyone checked out RockMNation’s “BTBS” prediction formula? It accurately predicted our win vs. Texas and now predicts we beat Oklahoma State. http://www.rockmnation.com/2008/11/3/652643/big-12-btbs-rankings-and-p
intellectual type said:
November 4th, 2008 at 11:27 am
bighornfan32 said:
November 4th, 2008 at 11:28 am
dedfischer said:
November 4th, 2008 at 11:34 am
tim, dude seriously, you’re being an asshole. Be cool and you can stay around.
Tortilla Brain said:
November 4th, 2008 at 11:37 am
If your team was so dominant why did they get outscored in the 2nd half? Just curious.
RRR said:
November 4th, 2008 at 11:42 am
Hey Ded, just read the Terry Bowden article. Looks like you guys were watching the same game.
That’s pretty cheap, Tortilla Brain. If you guys were so dominant over Mizzou, how come you got outscored in the second half?
dedfischer said:
November 4th, 2008 at 11:44 am
“If your team was so dominant why did they get outscored in the 2nd half? Just curious.”
You have a legitimate point here and I’ve thought about it some. I really thought Tech and Leach’s inexperience in big games like this showed up in the second half. Tech physically whipped UT’s ass up front in the 1st half and I think it actually shocked Leach. It certainly did me. Normally, I think he would have stepped on the gas in the 2nd half. Muschamp chewed Miller, Kindle and Houston’s ass for quitting in the 2nd quarter and they came out ready to play. Keep in mind, all those guys are outstanding players when motivated. We tried to pound it with Woods early, which wasn’t a bad idea, but I think had this not been UT, Leach typically would have come out firing on all cylinders in the 2nd half like he does against teams like SMU when is offense isn’t capitalizing on opportunities. However, he did a better job of field position management this game and taking a chance with his kicking game.
NM99 said:
November 4th, 2008 at 11:55 am
“If your team was so dominant why did they get outscored in the 2nd half? Just curious.”
Also, we changed defensive schemes from one that was effective in the first half to one that we suck at in the second half.
dedfischer said:
November 4th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
RRR, I just read that article and Bowden gets it. Texas was the underdog in this game and they were the ones relying on big plays to keep them in the game. That’s usually us and I thought this Texas team was supposed to be good before this game. Now, it seems they weren’t and OSU will kick our ass next because we are Missouri. And to that I say, keep on thinking that way.
Lewis said:
November 4th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
“The most GD close-to-perfect game I’ve ever seen a Red Raider DT have.”
Who would you say has even come close to what he did? Whitlock stood out to the casual fan like me Saturday, and I can’t remember anybody doing that for Tech since Montae Reagor.
dedfischer said:
November 4th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Reagor had a particulary good game I remember against Fresno State and then either Nebraska or KSU one year, but that was from the DE position. Other than that, I’ve never seen a performance close to it by a Tech DL. At least, against what was supposed to be an OL that was going to ram it down our throats.
dedfischer said:
November 4th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
Joe The Plumber,
I saw you in there, Joe and haven’t forgot about you. If you’ve learned anything about college football, you should know that this game is about matchups and what you did last week may not have relevance to what you do this week. OSU could come in here and kick our ass. I just call it like I see it week in and week out. With that being said and understood, I still think Ruffin coached a steaming pile of baboon shit of a game against Nebraska and I don’t mind writing it down. Looking back, I think Ruffin knows this and has learned from it, and appears to not be making many of the same mistakes twice, which is a good thing for all of us as Red Raiders.
Tim said:
November 4th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
“tim, dude seriously, you’re being an asshole. Be cool and you can stay around.”
-Ded
How was I being an asshole? I respect your opinion, just give me an example of what’s over the line and I’ll be sure to stay on the right side of it.
Those brainless guys over at Barking Carnival have been talking smack all week, I believe a little “I told you so” is appropriate for those guys. At the same time I know you write over there and don’t want to get you in trouble, just let me know.
Just for the record, someone has been posting over on BC using the name “Tim” the last two days and it has not been me.
dedfischer said:
November 4th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Tim, chill out, this shit is supposed to be fun. Don’t lose sight of the fact that most of these kids chose to go to the same school as us or different schools for there own reasons. They are simply there to improve their standard of life by getting an education and paying for it with their God given ability. There’s not a damn thing wrong with Brian Orakpo or any of these kids for that matter. I admire guys like Orakpo because he works hard just like our Rylan Reed, and they have a great appreciation for their opportunity and work hard to thank us as fans. Now, players are subject to ridicule around here for quitting because any of us can do that. However, talking unsubstantiated shit about a player, whether our or theirs, will not be tolerated around here because I fucking said so. Go embarrass us on Barking Carnival, if you like, but I feel partly responsible for antogonizing you around here and I’ll only say this once. It goes for everyone else too.
myers said:
November 4th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Great write up ded. That was an awesome game and hope we can match that intensity this weekend.
dedfischer said:
November 4th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Thanks, man, that was a blast. I wasn’t planning on going this weekend, but I can’t talk all this shit and then not show up to support them. Fuck it, I’m going.
btw, just in case I get death threats at some point, I would prefer for those of you who know me to not use my real name. Not that I’m backing off because I would shoot someone in the face if they broke into my house for any of those who caught that.
dedfischer said:
November 4th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
I’m not exactly sure how crazy this Tim guy is, but I don’t really want to find out, if I can avoid it.
Tim said:
November 4th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Ha, that’s funny, don’t worry about me the only thing I shoot are dove and pheasant.
Are you kidding me, I’m loving this. I’m a third generation Tech fan, I’ve been a Tech fan my entire life. I know my Grandparents didn’t experience anything like this, and I doubt my children will experience anything like this. For a Texas Tech fan this is a once in a lifetime kind of season.
I’m just giving the narcissist UT fans a little taste of their own medicine, but for you bro, I’ll keep it on BC!
dedfischer said:
November 4th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
You’re welcome around here any time, Tim, as long as we are aware there is a line. This is not Nam, and I sometimes wander in the area of gray, myself. Just think about what you said and then think about how far it was from what the Nebraska guy said about Sam Bradford. That should give you a perspective of where the line is at.
Knostrathomas said:
November 4th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
“Reagor had a particulary good game I remember against Fresno State and then either Nebraska or KSU one year, but that was from the DE position.”
I don’t remember the NU game, but I remember Reagor making the most athletic play to intercept Michael Bishop that I have ever seen a DL make. They were trying to set up a screen, but Montae got in the backfield too quick. Bishop tried to float it over his head and Montae (in full sprint) jumped straight up and grabbed it with one hand. In true DE fashion, he then proceeded to run over Bishop and get tackled on the one yard line instead of scoring. I think Zebbie fumbled on an end-zone dive a couple plays later. Thus began my hatred for stretching the ball out in front of you trying to cross the plain.
RRR said:
November 4th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
I have to periodically scroll up and re-read the caption under the Cary Grant picture.
“It was love at first site for Marlon Winn and Sergio Kindle”
Fucking classic.
Outback said:
November 4th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
Ded, great stuff, as always.
BTW, I heard Ned is questionable for the Baylor game with some sort of undisclosed lower-body injury.
I TT ON U said:
November 4th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
I wouldn’t want to meet “hippie killer” in a dark alley or in the front row of a well lit first communion service.
dedfischer said:
November 4th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
Hippie Killer gets it.
ARL said:
November 4th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
ded, my 1st comment on a board in years, only been reading your stuff for a couple of months, but I am impressed. I feel I know my shit on about Tech and I have a quiet confidence in our ability after learning from you. I do remember you being tough on Ruff, but a good ass chewing keeps us all honest and better. I relate better to hard asses anyway, never liked the peacekeepers.
I TT ON U said:
November 4th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Hey Ded, check out the TD by Crab and look who is standing on the sideline with his mouth wide open? I think it’s Chris Fowler, can’t tell if he’s happy or just amazed.
dedfischer said:
November 4th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Thanks for stopping by and the kind words, ARL.
bighornfan32 said:
November 4th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
why didnt my comment show up?
dedfischer said:
November 4th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
Because I tried to delete all Tim’s crap and possibly get him back in his cage. I don’t want to be associated with that kind of shit.
Natedawg said:
November 4th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
Read a little more than half of it, had a good laugh, lots of delusions, but good game nonetheless, you guys were due.
dedfischer said:
November 4th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
Natedawg,
I’m usually not this biased, but I had to jump all over this one. Thanks for stopping by and it was one hell of a game. You are correct. We deserved that one more than the Cubs deserve a World Series.
bighornfan32 said:
November 4th, 2008 at 6:42 pm
Here’s proof that Kindle is just as nasty as anyone on your line. Of course by the end of the game, he wasnt quite so.
http://videos.utexasclan.com/view.php?id=7077
Lewis said:
November 4th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
“…but I remember Reagor making the most athletic play to intercept Michael Bishop that I have ever seen a DL make.”
I didn’t even remember that Reagor was DE in college. He was so much bigger by the time he was playing for the Colts.
Winn: Mr. Kindle, in case you haven’t noticed, I have been removing that larynx for you. Please nod your head and extend your hand if you would like it returned.
BG said:
November 4th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
ded: I’m a ‘Horn, but I’ve enjoyed reading your stuff this season, both at BC and over here. Congrats on the win. I understand you’re just basking in the much deserved glow with this post, and that’s all good. However, I gotta call you out on two points. (1) You can’t say UT was lucky not to get blown out without also at least acknowledging that it ended up taking some pretty good luck on Tech’s part to even get the win (e.g., UT’s clock management brainlock and Gideon’s dropped INT). (2) If you really believe Tech would beat UT 8 out of 10 on a neutral field when UT wasn’t coming off the most brutual 3-game stretch in the program’s history, more power to you, but I don’t think you truly belive that.
dedfischer said:
November 5th, 2008 at 4:50 am
BG,
1. Well, you got me there.
2. You’re probably right. I think we would win 6.
The intent of my article was not to inflect that UT is not a good team, and I apologize if that’s how it came across. Your resume’ speaks for itself. My point was that Tech is probably the best team in the country as of 11/5/08.
Here’s how I graded the trench battles througout the game
1st Qtr:
Tech OL vs UT DL – UT, no question. We were in some serious trouble early in this game. However, I think you have a knock out artist type defensive line (I can expand on that theory by request) that comes out of the box and overwhelms people. Typically, UT fans are accustomed to having a 21-0 at this point because you’re not losing the next battle so badly.
UT OL vs. Tech DL – Tech, and I think you’ll agree.
2nd Qtr:
Tech OL vs. UT DL – Tech. Our OL dominated from the 1:32 mark of the first quarter until half time as much, if not more, than they had been dominated early in the game. Shannon Woods was averaging 10 yards per carry and we successfully single team blocked Roy Miller with Stephen Hamby on a couple of plays, and the combo blocks with Carter were really working. Orakpo was conceding outside leverage and getting hooked by Reed. Houston was getting overwhelmed by Vasquez. And Kindle, whom I’ve been on record a couple times this week admiring his toughness, and Winn were in a boxing match. We were successfully getting OL to the 2nd level in our zone blocking schemes and Vondrell McGee has never seen what holes that big look like. The distance by which the Tech OL defeated the UT DL in this quarter was what I felt was ultimately the difference in the game. It allowed us to withstand the barrage of big plays typically associated with teams who have elite level skill players, like Texas. I would tell every Red Raider fan and I have called out the following Tech players this year for loafing: Louis Vasquez, Brandon Carter, Brandon Sesay, Michael Crabtree, Detron Lewis, Marlon Williams. I’ve seen all those guys get tired and not play up to their potential. They didn’t in this game, though, and that was a good thing for us. I’ve heard a lot of people use the term “gassed” or “worn out”, and those are typically terms associated with someone getting their ass kicked. The Tech DL wasn’t on the field all half because they were forcing punts. The rule book states you can do the same thing. Your DL players may have been tired, but you have some guys that were loafing for being as good a players as they are. I saw them play better in the 1st quarter, so I know they can. In my opinion, the Tech OLs ability to control the game in this quarter is ultimately why Tech won the game.
UT OL vs. Tech DL – Tech. Your OL looked a little better, but you weren’t doing anything on the ground and we were playing you with an honest front, same as your defense was.
3rd Qtr:
Tech OL vs. UT DL – UT. Both units had some bright spots here, but it’s hard to argue that Tech won this quarter. Muschamp was seeing the same things in the first half. Guys getting stonewalled on their initial pass rush, and then just standing around or jogging. They weren’t playing the run with discipline and leaving huge running lanes. Others were just pushing on the guy in front of him versus trying to shed blocks. They got their ass royally chewed and spit back at them by Muschamp at half and they responded much better. However, the UT DL dominance of the 3rd quarter over the Tech OL wasn’t to the extent that Tech won the 2nd.
UT OL vs. Tech DL – Tech. Your OL was playing a little better at this point, but not really. By the end of the 3rd quarter, we had won the scorecard with your OL 3-0, while your DL was up 2-1. That’s a 4-2 aggregate advantage for Tech.
4th Qtr:
Tech OL vs. UT DL – Tech. We had once again survived the initial onslaught and continuity was beginning to return on offense. However, Sergio Kindle has a hell of a motor when he revs it up. We were having no trouble moving the ball up and down the field, and were not executing at the skill position when inside the 10 yard line. I’ll give Texas some credit for blocking a FG and holding them to another, and I don’t like bitching about the refs, so I won’t mention the Crab PI call. I guess I just did though.
UT OL vs. Tech DL – UT. This is the only battle I had the UT OL winning and it was really based on one drive. Your only other drive was the long Williams TD.
Now, I believe I’m pretty accurate on the above assessment. You may not agree and you are entitled to your opinion.
Based on the above 5-3 overall trench advantage for Tech, I arrived at mine. I’ll concede that it’s not a huge advantage from a scoring standpoint. However, in one of those quarters (the 2nd), your DL got beat up pretty severely and I’m not going to lie to you, I think some of your guys were taking plays off and that contibuted to it more than anything. They’re obviously extremely talented and made some big stops when they had to, which kept this game from getting away from you. I’m not asking you to agree, I just tell you like I see it. It’s hard to give up very many unaminous quarters against good teams. UT losing that 2nd quarter on both sides was huge in this game. I’ve got to move on the OSU and please come back at any time.
LonghornGuest said:
November 5th, 2008 at 9:17 am
Ded, I’d think you’d win 4. And that’s assuming these games are played back to back ala the schedule that Texas just came off of.
Our D held your O to 30 points, despite the loafing you think happened. Our offense gave up 9. Yeah, your guys dropped some passes, but so did our WRs. A lot of them. The simple fact of the matter is, Tech played a GREAT game. UT did not. If you put both of these teams up against each other at their absolute best, I’ll take Texas every time. Anytime a team can play as poorly as Texas did and STILL have a chance to win it at the end… that says a lot about the sheer talent and will of that team. Tech should have put away Texas in the second half, not let them come back. But they could not do that. It isn’t that they didn’t. They couldn’t. And they could not because Texas was just too good.
I give Tech all the credit in the world for playing lights out and disrupting Texas at what they do best. But to say that Tech then “made mistakes” and wasn’t “clicking on offense in the second half,” or whatever excuse you want to use (and I’ve seen you say that somewhere, here or at BC), and not give Texas credit for causing those is sheer hypocrisy at it’s best.
I know y’all don’t think holding had a big effect on the game, but I’ve now seen at least 4 different pictures & clips of flagrant holding by the o-line to keep Harrell upright. Your line plays clean, Harrell goes down.
In short, I think you are capable of writing phenomenal analyses of football games, but this is NOT a shining example of that ability. I’ll chalk it up to temporary insanity due to not “having been there before,” but I ask that you please try to regain your status as a legitimate, fair, and balanced writer ASAP. If you lose any more trust with your non-Tech writers, you lose your credibility. I might even have to start calling you Tim…
LonghornGuest said:
November 5th, 2008 at 9:19 am
*I meant to say non-Tech readers. And that smiley was supposed to be a “winkey.”
dedfischer said:
November 5th, 2008 at 9:23 am
LG, I see where you’re coming from, but nobody outside of Lubbock seems to believe we’re a damn good football team. Do we give the conference the best shot to go to a bowl game and beat an SEC team? Maybe not. I think you could argue a lot of things there, but I think Tech has as few of holes in their team as anyone. I know if a passing team that allegedly couldn’t run block averaged 10 yards per carry on the ground over a 15 minute span, I would be laying into them.
And, yes, I haven’t been here before and may come back down from planet insanity after OSU thumps us.
UT Guy said:
November 5th, 2008 at 9:40 am
Texas is still better. A better town, a better university, a better degree. And yes a better football team. yes, it’s true. And it will always be that way. Texas is better.
LonghornGuest said:
November 5th, 2008 at 9:46 am
“And, yes, I haven’t been here before and may come back down from planet insanity after OSU thumps us.”
From your lips to God’s ears.
dedfischer said:
November 5th, 2008 at 9:56 am
LG,
You’ve always seemed like a reasonable person, so your mention of my writing bias will be noted. If it happens next year, I can tell you, I have been there before and learned my lesson. This experience has been my lesson and I’ve enjoyed every bit of it.
I posted this on BC and it’s my biggest concern about Texas, if Tech manages to screw this up, which is highly possible. I think the UT OL will have trouble handling an SEC front. Maybe we couldn’t either, but at a minimum, our guys would be smart enough to try and tackle them before they kill our best chance of winning. Other than that, I don’t think there’s many holes in UT besides some running lane responsibilities up front, which can be fixed from week-to-week. You definitely don’t have a shortage of talent, and the DL is the strength of the Texas team.
Outback said:
November 5th, 2008 at 10:03 am
“Texas is still better……”
And UT Guy is clearly better at 8th grade-level adolescent rants than he is at furthering the discussion. Thanks for the great input, douchebag.
commish said:
November 5th, 2008 at 10:05 am
“Texas is still better. A better town, a better university, a better degree. And yes a better football team. yes, it’s true. And it will always be that way. Texas is better.”
Well shit. Why didn’t somebody tell me this before?
I just googled it, and among other things, learned that Jesus went to UT, and Al Gore invented the internet in Austin! Once I get off work at McDonald’s, I’m going to drive my STD-ridden ass to Austin and start my life over in the promised land!
Thanks UT Guy!
LonghornGuest said:
November 5th, 2008 at 10:21 am
I do agree with needing an o-line that has that nasty streak. However, I think there is a way to do it within the bounds of the rules. I’d much rather see our team win in a fair way than not.
But then, this way of thinking is how I view ALL life situations, and it just extends to football as well. Maybe it’s because I’m a woman, but at the end of the day, football is a game and these are still kids (well, only about 3-8 years younger than me, but still). Sports teach kids life lessons, and one of them should be that playing within the rules is necessary, even when you’re getting beat. Sometimes, the other person is just that much better than you.
I think you also have to realize that this o-line is still young. Waaaay more experienced than last year, which is a big reason why Colt is having a much better year. But they are still learning and growing. They still have a lot of improving to do in key areas. I think they’ll get there. The Tech game was certainly a good lesson in which of those areas are the most important.
NM99 said:
November 5th, 2008 at 10:51 am
LG -
Sorry your dynamic duo turned into only boy wonder. Sorry Orakpo was injured. Sorry you feel so slighted by the loss.
“Tech played a GREAT game. UT did not….Tech should have put away Texas in the second half, not let them come back. But they could not do that. It isn’t that they didn’t. They couldn’t. And they could not because Texas was just too good.”
Forget that Tech was able to get pressure with only 3 DL, that McCoy was intercepted for a TD, and that for the entire first half every one of your receivers had a defender strapped to his hip and McCoy had someone in his face. I’m sure none of that had anything to do with the quality of the Tech team and it was totally because Texas was just playing down to their opponent for the entire first half.
Guess what? One of the qualities of a championship caliber team (which you guys think you are) is always playing your best. If Texas isn’t capable of bringing their “A” game consistently, they don’t deserve to win. They are just another example of an uber talented team that underperforms. Welcome to what it feels like to be Clemson. Maybe that has worked against Tech in years past, but not this year.
As for Texas’s 2nd half performance, it seems that your logic allows that Texas must have been playing well below their capability the first half and flipped the switch for the second, but that Tech was playing at the top of it’s capablity the entire time. According to your logic, it is simply unthinkable that Tech may have not been playing to it’s potential in the second half. That is as insulting to your players as it is to ours. As boneheaded as the play call was that resulted in the opening safety, so too was the zone coverage that Tech played defensively in the second half. Ded has pointed out as have others that Tech switched to zone defense in the second half from man. Perhaps the change to a defense that Tech has struggled with all year was somewhat responsible for the success Texas enjoyed there? And if you are going to take away points not given up by the defense, 7 of Texas’s points came on a returned punt, which means the Tech outcored Texas on offense 30-26.
Hind site is 20/20. It is easy to see the results and think what might have been done differently. To say that the outcome would have been different is worthless speculation. What happened, happened.
Tech fans are rightfully elated that they defeated one of the best teams in the country as Longhorn fans would have been had they survived “the gauntlet” (because heaven forbid that any Longhorn admit that Tech just might have a good team). Coming over and trying to discount Tech just makes you look bad.
UTHornFan014 said:
November 5th, 2008 at 11:31 am
I’d say Tech wins 8 of 10 in Lubbock.
I think Texas wins 6 of 10 on a Nuetral field.
I think Texas wins 6 of 10 in Austin.
Giving Tech a 16-14 overall edge.
All those are just gut feelings I have from re-watching the game. I think the Texas offensive line (and Greg Davis) came out thinking it would be the same old Tech defense and couldn’t get their heads in the game until the 4th quarter.
With that said, if the Texas receivers remember how to catch (or to put stick ‘em on) in the first half the game probably would have turned out differently. But, that has been my problem with the Texas offense this season. It is heavily reliant on execution from both McCoy and the receivers. If one doesn’t deliver on their end, then our WHOLE offense is done, since we have no running game to turn to to bail us out. Outside of a couple of sacks and the interception, I thought McCoy lived up to his end even after taking a pretty good beating.
And on a side note… The Big XII officials suck. They screwed Tech on the shipley punt return and on the Crabtree PI. And I still can’t believe that the ONE time they call holding in the game it is called on Texas when it wasn’t even a hold.
Finally… This game was over when Greg Davis called the ISO run on Texas’ first offensive play. I am still angry with him for that.
The End
UTHornFan014 said:
November 5th, 2008 at 11:36 am
Oh… I have a man crush on Michael Crabtree. I only hope that Malcolm Williams can develop into our Crabtree (and he should as long as Greg Davis doesn’t go back into his shell).
And, Ded, I enjoy your posts on BC and here. However, I do think your euphoria may be blinding you a bit (and understandably so).
dedfischer said:
November 5th, 2008 at 11:36 am
That’s kind of how I felt, UTHorn. The breaks kind of seemed to neutralize each other over the course of the game. It was some bad officiating, but it’s just something I’ve learned to deal with in the Big 12.
UTHornFan014 said:
November 5th, 2008 at 11:48 am
And I would like to point out how laughable it was re-watching the Texas offense in the 1st half.
I’d say the breakdown of credit for this laughfest goes like so:
- 10/16ths of the credit goes to the Tech DLine for absolutely humiliating the Texas Oline.
- 3/16ths to the Texas receivers for looking like me trying to catch
- 3/16ths to Greg Davis for the offensive genius he displayed on both the 1st offensive play (safety) and the 3rd and 2 QB draw later in the half.
- 0/16ths to everyone else because I’m pretty sure the half would have played out exactly the same had Tech only been playing with their defensive line on the field.
dedfischer said:
November 5th, 2008 at 11:50 am
Well, you seem like a reasonable person. Welcome aboard.
I thought Davis wasn’t doing a hell of a lot to help those guys. Trying to block Williams with a TE? Reach blocking Whitlock running 7 yards deep out of your own end zone? Any OC in this league that has watched tape on this defense should have known better, and our guys on the DL aren’t as good as Texas, but they’re good enough to make those plays which is something we haven’t been able to accomplish in the past. I believe Davis just thought he could do it. What really surprised me was seeing Richard Jones beating a double team by Hall and Tanner to make a tackle for minimal gain. That’s something even Kansas could do, so I have no idea what to think of your OL personnel and that wasn’t Davis’ fault. No, it doesn’t mean I think the Kansas line is better than Texas. That’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying I’m just not too sure I trust either Davis or your OL, or both, maybe to go protect McCoy from some of the speed rushing DEs in the SEC. And without McCoy safe, I just don’t think the Texas offense is very threatening to the Florida’s and USC’s of the world. If you think Tech had a bad DL and this was all Davis’ fault and the WRs, just wait until you play one of those teams. You’re really going to be saying Davis called a bad game. Not, you of course, but most UT fans. With that in mind, I think I’m more comfortable with Tech as a team. We can at least kind of run the ball and protect the QB on a good DL, unless of course, your guys aren’t any good, which I don’t believe to be the case.
LonghornGuest said:
November 5th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
NM, I never said Tech wasn’t a good team, and I never tried to discount them. You read into my comments what you want to because of your severe inferiority complex. Grow the hell up.
I never said Texas was “playing down.” I said Tech played great, and Texas played like crap. They finally turned it on at the end, but it was too late.
My entire point was that if Tech was a freakin’ good as you say they are, Texas should have never been able to get back into that game. Never. In other words, Tech fans need to realize that this was NOT an easy win for them and stop acting like it was.
You claim I’m not giving Tech credit? That is the pot calling the kettle black. Get your head out of your ass and give Texas the credit it deserves for fighting back and putting themselves into a position to win a game in which they were “physically dominated” on both sides of the ball.
My problem with some of you Tech fans is that you win on a LAST SECOND TD, and somehow you automatically justify Texas being a bad team. Bad teams don’t consecutively knock off the #1, #11, and #7 teams in the country. Bad teams don’t hold the “vaunted” Tech offense to only 30 points. Bad teams don’t come back from a 22-3 deficit and put themselves in a position to win the game. We had a BAD GAME. That is a HUGE difference from having a bad team. Texas wasn’t even supposed to be in the Championship hunt this year, and yet, WE ARE. If that is underperforming, then I’ll take it every year.
I realize that you have a problem with Longhorn fans feeling entitled or whatever excuse you want to use to justify you not being able to get into a school the quality of Texas. Whatever. The fact is, Texas has EARNED everything it has achieved, and the fans have a right to proud of that. And yes, they have a right to feel that Texas should and can win every game it plays. Why? Because Texas can win those games. Texas certainly COULD have won this past Saturday. You were even ONE DROPPED INTERCEPTION from losing.
In short, the whole, “Texas has an elitist attitude and deserves to lose” is shit. Your actions have been nothing but classless Tech typicality, which every other team in the Big XII uses to justify Tech “deserving” to lose. So those two viewpoints cancel each other out.
Good night. I can’t deal with much more stupidity today.
dedfischer said:
November 5th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Keep in mind, the last thing I want to happen here is the 1995 Cotton Bowl scenario. That was embarrassing for Tech and the SWC, and I don’t want that to happen again. If we’re not the best team, then so be it. I hope OSU, OU or Texas proves they are and deserve to go. I hear rumblings every year about the speed of the SEC DL, and I don’t watch a lot of SEC football, but I assume they aren’t making it up. They were damn sure right about Alabama a few years ago. Texas beat USC because they were tougher. The SEC isn’t USC and I don’t see Vince Young. The last thing I want to happen here is for someone to say, “We’re the Big 12 and we’ll kick everyone’s ass because we have the best QBs” and then go out and pull a Bob Stoops and fucking embarrass the conference against Boise State and West Virginia. However, if OU is the best team, then I hope they do go. They’ll certainly have their chance to prove it. Same for OSU.
NM99 said:
November 5th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
I just called Texas “one of the best teams in the country.” What more do you want?
Maybe I read a little too much into the word “could” in when you said, “they could not do that.” That you followed it up with, “Texas was just too good” certainly seems to support my interpretation.
You totally crapped on the arguments that Tech did not play it’s best game in the second half, yet turn around and use it yourself. “Anytime a team can play as poorly as Texas did and STILL have a chance to win it at the end… that says a lot about the sheer talent and will of that team.”
I suppose it would really piss you off if I inserted Tech after Texas and removed the phrase “have a chance to.” But I won’t do that.
And I CHOSE to go to Tech over Texas. This conversation has helped to affirm that choice. Thanks.
LonghornGuest said:
November 5th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Of course they couldn’t. Just like Texas couldn’t stop Tech from getting their points. I said that before the game too, braintrust, so chill the hell out.
How is that crapping on Tech playing well? That is simply pointing out that Texas has the talent and the determination to keep themselves in that game. That isn’t saying anything about Tech. That’s talking up Texas, not talking Tech down. How is that lost on you? Do you honestly think Texas played its “best game” in the second half of that game as well? Really? Do you watch other teams besides Tech each week, or is your opinion of the teams Tech plays just limited in scope to the game they actually play against Tech?
I never said Tech played its “best” game. I said they played lights out (which is a reference to intensity), especially in the first half. But if you honestly think that Texas played anywhere near its best at any point in that game, you’re kidding yourself. I gather you’ve gotten pretty good at that particular skill, though, so good job!
I’m glad you chose to go to Tech. I’m very proud that you made that decision all on your very own. Go you!
dedfischer said:
November 5th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Ok, kids. Let’s keep it civil. Kind of seriously. I would like this to be a happy, fun place. If you’re going to get into degree talking shit, take it to Hornfans or RP. It tires me. Football is all good, including whining about the restrictions of a contact sport by LG.
Lay off the bullshit a little, NM99. She’s good people.
LonghornGuest said:
November 5th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
I
LonghornGuest said:
November 5th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
I hit submit on accident…
I *heart* ded. In a purely platonic I-only-know-you-from-the-Internet sense, that is. And, he’s right…
NM, I am all up for good debates. I am going to be real with you for a second: Football is my escape from some pretty tough things that have gone on in my life, particularly around this time of year. I, admittedly, am WAY too emotionally invested in my team. But I figure this escape is better than any alternative, since I harm neither myself nor others in the process. At any rate, I tend to a get a little fired up when talking about it, and at times I can let my emotions get the best of me. In other words, I’m sorry for saying things I shouldn’t have said. There isn’t any good excuse for personal attacks, and I’ll work on controlling that better from here on out.
This team, this year, has really exceeded my expectations. On paper, there is no way they should have done as well as they have. I just take exception to people belittling their accomplishments based on one game.
That is all.
dedfischer said:
November 5th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
See, I told you.
ARL said:
November 5th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
God I hope we win out, but it will be tough and honestly hard to imagine TTU pulling it off since fatigue is going to be real issue us fans forget about. Or maybe I just forget about…on paper looks good, but that means nothing, after all, how many of us can say we had a perfect career in 1 yr.
NM99 said:
November 5th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
If we shadows have offended,
Think but this and all is mended:
That you have but slumbered here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend.
If you pardon, we will mend.
And, as I am an honest Puck,
If we have unearned luck
Now to ’scape the serpent’s tongue,
We will make amends ere long.
Else the Puck a liar call.
So good night unto you all.
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.
NM99 said:
November 5th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
You hit submit while I was searching.
Sorry if you thought I was belittling anything Texas has accomplished. I still say Texas is a great team. It would be fun to see how things would play out if both teams were 100% healthy and playing their absolute best. Maybe we need to just give the North the finger and play the Big XII championship game between 2 south teams.
Similar to you, I also take offense when Tech is belittled for being Tech. Tech has been quietly building to this point for several years, and they were poised for a break-through. Every Tech fan has been waiting for 2 years to see Harrell play at a senior level and to see how some of the better recruiting we have gotten has paid off. So far it seems to be.
Good luck to the horns. Hope you guys kick some SEC ass in the Sugar bowl.
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January 28th, 2010 at 9:14 am
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