So for the last few months rumors have been flying about some major moves in various conferences around college football.  There has been talk about the Big 10 (which is actually the big 11) adding 4 more schools.  There was talk about the SEC inviting schools in to make a super conference.  Now the PAC 10 is jumping on board with talks of adding schools to make a mega conference. At the center of all these rumors, Texas and Oklahoma. Lets be perfectly clear about one thing. In all these rumor scenarios, Texas is in the drivers seat. Forget Notre Dame and their *independent* status,  to these other conferences its all about the Texas Longhorns.

The Big 12 is a skeleton of itself these days,  and gets very little national media love.  Texas and Oklahoma are the exception to that statement.  The Big 12  (as a conference) has not seen much love since it was a dominate force to be reckoned with.  College football fans remember when going to Lincoln Nebraska was a terrifying experience.  When you saw R.C. Slocum and his Texas A & M Aggies on your schedule, you better pack a lunch cause it was going to be a long day.  Now a days  teams and fans mark both dates down as a win on the pre season schedule.  There has been one season in the last 10 years where multiple teams in the Big 12 were getting national love, and the BCS had ranked in the top ten.  For one glorious season  Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State found themselves ranked in the top ten for multiple weeks during the season.  The next year, Texas and Oklahoma were the only teams to consistently remain ranked in the top ten.  Oklahoma State would sniff the top ten, but only for a short time.  Let us not forget Mike Van Gundy is a man, he is forty!

The discussion of Texas and Oklahoma moving to another conference is an interesting one, and I really hope both schools make their *pros and cons* list prior to making any decisions.  If one school moves to another conference, the other will follow.  So here are a few things to think about.  Since Texas and Oklahoma have been brought up in the rumors surrounding the Big 10, PAC 10 and SEC  let me address a few of my concerns for each conference.

SEC

- It is easy for Mack Brown and Big game Bob Stoops to look really good when they are big fish in a little pond.  I don’t think either team would be as dominate in the SEC.  Game planning for an SEC team in a BCS bowl game is one thing, but on a week in week out scenario the 9-3 or better season both teams have become accustom to will no longer be an almost guaranteed thing.  Having to deal with the likes of Alabama and Florida year in and year out prove to much for both coaches to handle.  Though Texas to the SEC would bring back some of the old rivalries between Texas, Alabama, and Arkansas.  Old school fans of the Southwest Conference would salivate at seeing those teams on Texas schedule.

Big 10

- Geographic nightmare for both schools. And lets face it the Big 10 is one step up from the Big 12.  Thought I would like to see Texas and Oklahoma play Wisconsin and Penn State at least every other year.  Yes the Big 10 has its own cable channel, but lets face it there are only a handful of teams that get national love.  So in my opinion this would be a lateral move for both schools.

PAC-10

- After further review this one actually has me interested. Especially if the reports of the 6 teams the PAC-10 is trying to cherry pick from the Big 12 is correct.  Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Colorado. Once again Texas is in the drivers seat and the fate of the Big 12 rests squarely on Texas shoulders.  Oklahoma goes where Texas goes, and meanwhile Texas A&M and Oklahoma State are sitting in the back row begging the big boys to take them with them.  I will not go as far as to say if this expansion happens the PAC 10 will be more dominate then the SEC.  Financially speaking though this potential mega conference would make more money then any other conference in college football.  7 of the 10 major markets are all about Pac 10 football.  The Pac 10 has already made an offer to each of the 6 schools, $20 million a year to each school for making the conference switch.  Now add in the TV contract, this could very well turn into a billion dollar conference.  I must say some of the potential season team schedules could be very interesting.

The Big 10 and the PAC -10 need Texas and Oklahoma more then Texas and Oklahoma need the PAC 10.  I guess we will just have to wait and see.  While talking to Liverdamage last night he made the comment, *man I really miss the Southwest Conference*. Your not the only one buddy..

So if your a Longhorn fan how happy are you with this win today? Has it sunk in yet that your Texas Longhorns should have lost in Dallas today? A lot of flags that went the Longhorns ways, flags that should have been thrown but weren’t, stupid penalties that kept Oklahoma drives alive. I’m gonna tell you something right now, someone in the Longhorns organization is living right. They are saying their prayers, eating their vitamins, and not messing around with underage white women because someone was looking out for the Longhorns today!

There are two types of fans in this world, the delusional ones that like to send me hate mail after a *kick in the crotch* god to honest article, and ones who say I am absolutely right. If your a delusional fan that wants to send me hate mail after this article, then you go right ahead.  Realistic fans unite, and call bullsh*t when you see it. If you came here to get a warm and fuzzy article  about how great the Longhorns are, then you need to go read a article written in an Austin paper. You will get no such article here. You will however get an honest look at what really happened in Dallas today.  Let me run down a few things that the delusional fan might have missed.

- The Longhorns offensive lines inability to pick up the blitz in the first half.  Hey if memory serves correctly this was something I pointed out in my post about the game early in the week. Every single year OU dials up all out blitz packages, and every year Mack continues to look clueless on how to stop it. Every year the OU defense gives Texas one look, then at the last second changes into their actual defensive play. Guess what, every year it works! It wasn’t a matter of Texas figured out how to stop it in the second half, it was a matter of OU quit doing it as much.  McCoy gets knocked down 14+ times in the first half, then all of the sudden the offensive line figures it out with a halftime adjustment?  Yeah ok!

- And the academy award for  best actor for the most convincing dive goes to (drum roll please) Colt McCoy.  Yes there were some calls McCoy got that he should have, but there were some that had dive written all over it. Example.. Last play of the game when McCoy slides down to keep the clock moving, and is touched on the field and just falls backwards. Bravo Bravo, if your career doesn’t take off in the NFL then maybe you can make a living on Broadway.

-The hopes and dreams of that undefeated season may still be alive, but not for long Longhorn faithful. In case you missed it,  Oklahoma gave future teams on the Longhorns schedule the blueprint on how to beat Texas. They took Shipley out of the game, and continued to blitz McCoy.  It’s hard for the Heisman hopeful to continue to put up those impressive stats (chuckles) while he is running for his life.

The only bright spot for the day was the defense, that still got torched for 400+ yards. They stepped up and made plays when the had too. Picking off Landry Jones twice late in the 4th quarter sure did help.  All those who think that had Bradford stayed in the game the outcome might have be different raise your had. *Raises Hand*.  Not to say Bradford was setting the world on fire before he got hurt, but he understands how to read defenses a lot better then Landry Jones.  He understands that when Muschamp dials up an all out blitz to dump it off in the middle of the field and let your RB rattle off a 65 yard run.

The Longhorns have started off the season 6-0, but its an extremely soft 6-0.  This was the first real test for this Longhorn team and they sh*t their pants in the first half.  You can not continue to play flat in the first half, rely on your defense to keep you in the game, and then start playing in the second half.  You can not continue to give make mental mistakes, and draw the stupid penalties.  Unless this team takes this gift of a win and wakes up, they are no closer to making a National Championship run then they were at the beginning of the season.  IF the Longhorns make it to the National Championship game and they play the likes of Florida or Alabama, then Bob Stoops won’t be the only coach from the Big 12 that gets made a fool of by Urban Myers or Nick Saban.

So while I was enjoying a cup of coffee this morning  I got a phone call from my good friend *The Bean*   The big college brain wanted to talk college football. More importantly, The Red River Shootout. For those of you who don’t know The Bean is a HUGE Sooners fan, while I bleed burnt orange.

While talking he brought up the idea that  each of us should write a post about why we thought our beloved teams would win this weekend.  Now this sounds like a really good idea right? Give the readers some insight into two teams they might not follow closely. While it is a wonderful idea in theory, I can’t do it.  Not because I’m not a highly opinionated fan because I am. It’s because I am a realistic fan, and sports writer.  I look at the Longhorns season as a whole, and this game scares the hell out of me as it does every season.

While trying to come up with good solid points why the Longhorns will win, I could only come up with one.  Jordan Shipley. Pretty sad huh?  Truth be told the Longhorns have started each and every game this season slow, and stagnate. They turn the ball over, and look really lost in the first half.  Against lesser teams that is ok, they have been able to make halftime adjustments and dominate in the second half.  If they start out slow against Oklahoma this weekend, this game could be over at the half.  Mack Brown struggles coaching against Bob Stoops  each year anyway, add in the extra pressure of coaching from behind against Stoops, it could make for a long day for the Longhorn faithful.  Here are some major questions I have for both teams this weekend.

Questions for the Longhorns

-How does Colt McCoy manage the game, its going to be feast or famine.  McCoy will either protect the football like he is supposed to, or he will turn it over multiple times.

- Will Stoops kick to or away from Jordan Shipley?

-Will Texas actually have a run game?

-Will Sergio Kendell actually show up and be a dominate force for Texas on defense?

-Can Mack Brown figure out a way to sneak Brian Orakpo on the field?

-Can Will Muschamp figure out he needs to blitz Sam Bradford more? Will he figure out to take the middle of the field away for the Oklahoma offense?

Question for the Sooners

-Are you coming in with a chip on your shoulder after loosing two games to lesser teams this season?

-Is Sam Bradford healthy enough to start this game?

-Which Bob Stoops is going to coach on Saturday?

-How will Bradford react with less offensive weapons then he’s had in the past?

– Does this still bother you guys? (sorry that was a very non objective jab, won’t happen again!)

Question For The Broadcast Team

-How many times do you plan on mention the childhood connection between McCoy and Shipley?

-How many times do you plan on mentioning what Bevo thinks about the game?

-How many times will Brent Musburger reference the *Texas Soil* that McCoy’s dad placed under his crib as a child?

-How many times will Brent Musburger work *Big Tex* into the conversation?

-How many times will Brent Musburger refer to Bob Stoops as Ol Stoopsie?

The way 90% of my fellow Longhorns view this season really bugs the hell out of me. Anything short of a spot in the National Championship will be viewed as a failed season. That is a completely unrealistic way to view any season, including this one.  Yes a trip back the National Championship game would be nice, but that should not be your measuring stick on whether this season is a bust. You as a fan should strive for a solid winning season.  Key wins on the schedule including Oklahoma, and Texas A&M and an appearance in a good bowl game are realistic goals for the Longhorns.

With Oklahoma loosing to BYU and Miami and now finding themselves ranked #20 in the country, this game has lost some of its preseason glitter. With Oklahoma sliding so far in the ranking this game is also not helping the Longhorns strength of schedule. Lets be honest no one in the Big 12 is really helping Texas in that area either. Strength of schedule is another point completely lost on a majority of Longhorn fans as well, but lets not get into that discussion again.

Having said all that!!

]]> http://www.ickscorner.com/2009/10/red-river-weekend-is-upon-us-so-many-questions/feed/ 0 http://www.ickscorner.com/2009/09/take-that-bcs/ http://www.ickscorner.com/2009/09/take-that-bcs/#comments Sun, 06 Sep 2009 03:19:10 +0000 Ick http://www.ickscorner.com/?p=3714

The first major upset of the college football season should have come earlier this afternoon with Navy upsetting Ol’ Sweater Vest’s Buckeyes. Instead the first major upset of the college football season comes a few hours later. #20 ranked BYU takes down #3 Oklahoma, my jaw is still on the floor.  Since the Longhorns thrashing of a high school team from Louisiana was not televised I decided to check out the the Oklahoma/BYU game,  just to see what the Longhorns had in store for them the third week of October.  I was very surprised with a 10 – 3 score at the half. I was even more surprised that Sam Bradford (Oklahoma’s quarterback and last years Heisman trophy winner) would leave the game with a sprained shoulder.  Most Longhorn fans will think this is a blessing, you know a chance Bradford will not be able to start come Red River Weekend, I say please do. I want a fully loaded Oklahoma team with Bradford to hit the field. I don’t want any excuses that weekend. BYU’s defense took advantage of a young offensive line, getting the Bradford numerous times. With 4 turnovers in the first half, and numerous STUPID penalties BYU should have been down by 35 at the half easy.

I have talked with two Sooner fans already this evening. One told me he would call me back, which he has yet to do. The other told me that she kept waiting for the Sooners to get rolling, and is still in shock that they lost.  When I told her that I didn’t want to hear about had Bradford not gotten hurt it would have been different, she replied * You won’t hear that from me, because we looked horrible before he got hurt*.  It’s always nice to talk to realistic rival fans, unlike completely delusional one such as Ohio State fans.  I wonder of the 80,000+ fans that watched the Longhorns lay the wood to Louisiana Monroe, how many of them actually were sick to their stomachs with the Longhorn’s schedule this year? Just a reminder Texas fans, what happened tonight in Austin WAS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN.  The same can be said for the defending National Champion Gators season opener. That was also SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN!

Oh football season how I have missed you!

If you follow college football or don’t live under a rock then you are familiar with the BCS. There are several determining factors that go into the selection for one of the 5 major BCS bowl games. Some of the things that are taken into consideration are things like..

Style Points (Anyone that says how much you run up the score against teams isn’t considered is full of sh*t)

Poll’s (BSC, AP, Coaches)

Computers (a shameless cover up for a bunch of  millionaires sitting around smoking cigars, drinking brandy, and trying to determine which team has the best *traveling fans* and which teams will be the best match up, not for the best game, but for the most money.

Strength Of Schedule (simply put who did you play, and how good was that team. Also Home/Away is taken into consideration)

The Longhorn 2009 schedule is a joke to say the least. I went through and did some comparisons between 2 of the powerhouses in the Big 12 being Texas and Oklahoma. I also went with Oklahoma because of the drama that came up at the end of last season for the Big 12 Championship and National Championship. Also Oklahoma is the BIGGEST game on Texas Schedule. Some would argue that Texas A&M would be the biggest game. Being the biggest rival, and biggest game are two totally different. Lets face it Oklahoma is a National Championship contender every season, and well Texas A&M haven’t been relevant since the days of R.C. Slocum. Sorry Aggie fans no offense intended, just being honest.   I have broken down my comparison between schedules as such..

-Teams

-Overall season standings from 2008 season

-Conference, Non Conference Game (Each team is given 4 non conference games each year(unless your Notre Dame), and can pretty much pick who they play)

-Home or Away game

Texas Longhorns 2009 (11-1)

Louisiana Monroe (4-8)  Non Conference

@Wyoming (4-8) Non Conference

Texas Tech (11-2) Conference

UTEP (5-7) Non Conference

Colorado (5-7) Non Conference

Oklahoma (12-2) Conference (Neutral Site)

@Missouri (10-4) Conference

@Oklahoma State (9-4) Conference

UCF (4-9) Non Conference

Baylor (4-8) Conference

Kansas (8-5) Conference

Texas A&M (4-8) Conference

Oklahoma Sooners 2009 (12-2)

BYU (10-3)  Non Conference

Idaho State (1-11) Non Conference

Tulsa (11-3)  Non Conference

@Miami (7-6) Non Conference

Baylor (4-8) Conference

Texas (11-1) Conference  (Neutral Site)

@Kansas (8-5) Conference

Kansas State (5-7) Conference

@Nebraska (9-4) Conference

@Texas A&M (4-8) Conference

Texas Tech (11-2) Conference

Oklahoma State (9-4) Conference

Oklahoma plays 3 non conference teams with winning records, where as Texas plays ZERO non conference teams with winning records. I would like to hope EVERY Texas fans keeps this in mind at the end of the season. IF there is a debate about who should go where, and the records are similar, please don’t whine and complain when Oklahoma gets the nod. Remember that 45-35 is history, and your Texas Longhorns control who they play 4 weeks of the season. They continue to schedule lesser opponents. This year as always strength of schedule is something Mack Brown and the rest of his coaching staff are clueless about. Thanks Mack!

This post was written by a die hard Longhorn fan!

]]> http://www.ickscorner.com/2009/07/strength-of-schedule/feed/ 6 http://www.ickscorner.com/2009/03/jacks-journey-to-texas/ http://www.ickscorner.com/2009/03/jacks-journey-to-texas/#comments Thu, 12 Mar 2009 01:42:23 +0000 Ick http://www.ickscorner.com/?p=3265

After many many months of failed attempts to mail an ever so tasty bottle Tennessee’s Finest straight from the distillery as promised, I finally received my bottle. For those of you who have no idea what the significance behind this bottle is, allow me to bring you up to speed. The Bug is a huge Sooner fan, I am a huge Longhorn fan. Despite the fact that the Bug has convinced himself that God is a Sooners fan, we get along quite well.  Now as you all know there is a little game played every year called the Red River Shootout. We decided to place a small wager on the game, loser sends winner a bottle of their choice. Bug decided to take it one step further and offer up a bottle straight from the distillery. So now that your all up to speed let me give you some of the highlights behinds Jacks journey to Texas.

Now I know for a fact that this bottle of Jack was purchased a few days after the Longhorns beat  Oklahoma (45-35) because Bug called me and said he had secured the package, and would be mailing it out over the weekend. Well mailing Jack would proved more stressful then the Bug could ever imagine. The first attempt was met with epic failure because no one informed the Bug that he couldn’t mail alcohol over state lines. Armed with this information, the Bug felt sure he could get around such a silly rule. So he went home, and with the help of Mrs. Bug they packed up the bottle ever so tightly, and secure. The second attempt would also result in epic failure when asked what he was shipping, and the package was shook (hearing the sounds of liquid would spell disaster). I mean seriously who the hell shakes a package being sent to check for contraband!

Which brings us up to attempt 4,954, give the package to Mrs. Bug so she can try her hand at mailing Jack across state lines. This would result in the most EPIC failure of all, because Jack aged a few more months in the TRUNK OF HER CAR!

Not only was Jack going to waste in the trunk of her car, but my good friend Bug thought I was an ingrate. He probably started thinking I was just like every other Longhorn fan he had ever met.  Thanks to Susan at Fed-Ex Jack found his way to Texas. I can’t vouch to the truthfulness of the following comments, but I’d like to think that Susan and Stanley Goldstein share one thing in common, they both smoke crack! That is the only explanation for the thought that Sam Bradford (OU QB) would be drafted way before Colt McCoy (UT QB)!

“Susan Pictured here was helpful enough.  She agrees that OU was robbed and that McCoy will probably be drafted way behind Bradford next year.  Oh, and that I am pretty great looking”.

At this point I can only speculate if Susan finds the same simple pleasures in life as Stanley Goldstein, like punching small babies in the face, while enjoying pork products such as bacon!  The Bug and I have decided next year we are going to make it easier on eachother, and just bet cash!

Thanks buddy, I have not decided if I’m going to crack open this bottle now, or wait until October 10th.  I would also like to add one final note. Thank you Mrs. Bug because I know you came up with the genius packing job for Jack. I know that a SOONER fan could never come up with a plan to mail alcohol across state lines. See attempts (1-3) as example of this!

]]> http://www.ickscorner.com/2009/03/jacks-journey-to-texas/feed/ 0 http://www.ickscorner.com/2009/03/mrs-bean-is-a-liar-the-sooners-were-still-robbed-and-i-guess-ick-isnt-an-ingrate/ http://www.ickscorner.com/2009/03/mrs-bean-is-a-liar-the-sooners-were-still-robbed-and-i-guess-ick-isnt-an-ingrate/#comments Sun, 08 Mar 2009 23:37:32 +0000 The Bean http://www.ickscorner.com/?p=3225  

Looking in my wife's trunk today. What the...

So, I’m looking in my wife’s trunk today before we go to the mall and what do I happen across?  I dunno a bunch of crap.  Then it hit me:

“If the Horns win, I will drive down to the Jack distillery and send you a bottle straight from Lynchburg.” Text message to Ick Oct 5, 2:45PM

Holy crap.  Mrs. Bean said months ago that she’d mail it and to not worry about it.  I told Ick about the failed attempts before but I was sure it was there.  Wondered why he never mentioned he got it.  Mystery solved.  So, I grabs the box and head to FedEx.  Susan Pictured here was helpful enough.  She agrees that OU was robbed and that McCoy will probably be drafted way behind Bradford next year.  Oh, and that I am pretty great looking.   

So… here you go, Ick.  Fair and square.  Nice win.  Enjoy Tennessee’s finest, buddy.  …Finally 

Boomer Sooner!  Shipping info here

@

I say @ Florida because this years National Championship game is in Miami, and will basically be a home game for the Gators. Is it to early to start the *Go Gators* chant?? Not going to claim to be a Tim Tebow or Florida Gators fan, but even thought the Sooners are representing the Big 12 I just can’t bring myself to lend them my support. I did it once this year for the game against Texas Tech, but that was because it was for the good of my Longhorns. Taking one for the team so to speak.

The bowl games will be released later tonight. Check back for a full update later tonight. If the Cotton Bowl plays out as expected I may have to try and secure tickets again this year. Even if Mr Ol Broad will be back in Tennesee this year, I’d like to see Texas Tech and Ole Miss duke it out.

Signs like the one above were everywhere last night in Austin. With last night being the final game of the Longhorns regular season, the fans wanted to send a message to the powers that run the BCS. My question is this, why? I’m gonna break it down for you delusional Longhorn fans, everyone gather around real close.. WE BLEW IT! We were in the drivers seat going into Lubbock, when we decided to play flat for an entire half of football. You guys remember that right?? Let me refresh your memories on some KEY events from that game.

1. Texas played flat the entire first half. Score 22-6 at the half

2. Colt McCoy is leading his team down the field, in the last few minutes of the game

3. Colt McCoy decides to tuck the ball and run with it inside the 20, and RUNS OUT OF BOUNDS. Stopping the clock, the Horns would score on the next play to take the lead.

4. Texas leaves Texas Tech with around a minute and a half on the clock.

5. Texas special teams falls alseep and allows a huge return giving Tech the ball near midfield.

6. Texas Tech marches down the field, and were WELL in field goal range.

7. Texas secondary gives all Texas Tech fans a early Christmas gift, dropping a sure interception.

8. Finally, a combination of Roy Williams arm tackling, and a circus catch.

Realistically speaking OU should be ahead of the Longhorns in the rankings, plain and simple. So we all just need to suck it up, and hope that we make a BCS bowl game appearance and be HAPPY with an 11-1 season. We did beat OU on a neutral field, and yes it was a really great win, but Oklahoma has had a better  non conference schedule this season. They have basically run the same gauntlet the Longhorns did this season. They also did it in better fashion, embarrassing teams.  They are the sexy team right now, and after they took apart Texas Tech on national T.V. they have established themselves as not only a powerhouse in the Big 12, but in all of college football.

Mack Brown can lobby about how great this team is (which they are a very talented team), he can bring up the points about beating OU on a neutral field, he can bring up how much Colt McCoy has ment to this team, but at the end of the day, the Longhorns fate is no longer in their hands.  With the release of the BCS rankings last Sunday came the uproar from the fans about Texas moving into the number 2 spot, and OU still being ranked below them. Even after OU was ranked ahead of Texas in the Coaches poll, and the AP poll.

When Oklahoma rolls into Stillwater this weekend, you can expect one thing. Bob Stoops will have his boys ready to play, and ready to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Sooners deserve to be ranked ahead of Texas.  Sure Texas beat A&M last night by 40, they were supposed to!! Hell the spread for the game last night was 35!

If after reading this post, you want me to surrender my *Fan Card* forget it.. Someone has to be realistic around here!

This little cartoon must have been drawn by a Sooner fan, since most Sooner fans think the refs handed Texas the game. This was sent to me courtesy of the Bean… *shakes head*  Seriously??? I have said everything I have to say about this game in a post yesterday

I guess when I wrote that post I should have been a fan, instead of trying to be objective. I guess I should not have gone out of my way to point out how horrible the officiating was. I should have left out the praise for the Sooners program.

The fact that OU only slid down to #4 after loosing this weekend, should speak volumes to how good this game really was, DESPITE the officiating! The Texas fan in me would like to close by saying this!!!