Before I sat down to write this article, I heard Texas was just given the No. 1 ranking after it downed hated rival and last week's No. 1 squad, Oklahoma, by 45-35 score in a classic at the Cotton Bowl. I've lost my voice after yelling during the game—a friend of mine got me tickets, so I dutifully wore burnt orange and cheered on the Longhorns. Fun times...if nothing as fun as wearing white with 100,000 as your best friends.
Speaking of white, Penn State kicked the crap out of Wisconsin at Camp Randall. I thought it was meant to be a tough game. Is this PSU team for real? Or should I be nervous about Ohio State? Darryl Clark was superb—and so was the defense. Wisconsin's monster O-line simply couldn't stop the defensive schemes of Tom Bradley. What a display!
I'm sorry...did this team lose to Ole Miss a couple of week ago? Well kids, the Florida Gators are back, and back in a big way. Their schellacking of the previously undefeated LSU Tigers shows that this team is the most dangerous team in the SEC. Don't be surprised if these two meet again in Georgia in the SEC championship game.
Texas Tech managed to show they can win a close one, beating Nebraska in an overtime classic, while No. 3 Missouri couldn't, losing to Oklahoma State at home in a stunning game. The Cowboys are a fun team to watch....
Speaking of fun teams to watch, a rather incompetent performance by quarterback Mark Sanchez (three interceptions) didn't really hurt USC, which trashed Arizona State, 28-0.
And why do I have this continuing feelng that the Alabama Crimson Tide should have been given the No. 1 ranking? Alabama has beaten Clemson, Georgia, and Kentucky so far this year—even if the Kentucky win wasn't particularly inspiring. Texas has knocked off their local rival, but no one else.
This may all be academic after the Missouri Tigers visit on Saturday. College Gameday's going to be in Austin, by the way—if that place needed to be a bigger party!
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about 1 month ago
I refuse to vote in that poll unless PSU is up there! :)
Jk...I'll vote for Bama!!!
I agree with you, and Bama shouldn't have been jumped, but the pollsters will change their minds when Texas loses one or two of its next three games.
from about 1 month ago
I can't wait for Penn St to face a coach who actually knows how to stop your offense. You have yet to face a good team all year long. Michigan and OSU are the best of the rest?????
Michigan SUUUUCKS! and OSU looks like the most over-rated pre season team of all-time!
If PSU goes undefeated it will be because of lack of good competition.
I'm gonna love it if yall make it to the National Championship game tho, because if Texas does too, then that means Texas will be the 2008 National Champions!
from about 1 month ago
Not so fast my friend!
Don't be so quick to count PSU out as a contender just because they will completely dominate their conference because MSU and OSU are the only teams that have a chance at having a close game with PSU.
PSU can match up with any team in the Nation, and could beat any team in the nation. No team will stop PSU's offense, it is too balanced. We haven't even shown everything yet, we've still got stuff hidden in our playbook saved just for beating an overconfident Big 12 or SEC team in the National Championship. PSU has blown out everyone they have played, and Texas and OU did that and then Texas beat OU. Who has Texas played? A bunch of scrubs who they blew out and then an OU team who blew out a bunch of scrubs?
Who hasn't had competition here? Neither team, but they are both winning and winning big. However, Texas could easily lose to Mizzou, Oklahoma State, or...not TTU. Anyway, we'll see how good Texas is after they play teams with no defense and a good offense...that doesn't sound good to me.
Can we be realistic! Name one team you've played that has a defense! Don't say OU because I'm not sold on that defense. PSU's defense has been in the Top 15 of every defensive category for the last 5 years. This year, PSU's offense is in the Top 10 in almost every category. Both teams have played the same level of competition.
PSU is a great team, and you better watch out for them...if you can make it to the NC game.
from about 1 month ago
Yeah getting to the NC will be a very difficult thing to do with the schedule that we have, but if somehow we ARE able to make it to Miami... I don't think any team would derail us. NOT ONE. Although Florida looks scary as hell.
If you don't want to count OU's defense as good, then I guess we haven't played anyone with a good defense... But then again, maybe OU's D is very good and our offense is just so great that teams can't stop us.
BTW... for people who don't know much about Texas football... we have yet to play our best RB since he has been resting up until he is 100%.... He ran the ball 12 times for 76 yards against UTEP, and that is his only playing time, but once he actually starts playing, our team will become that much better.
I would LOVE to play Penn St in the NC tho. Seriously, yall are the school I would root for if the University of Texas didn't exist. I love your uniforms, and your helmets. I love the "WE ARE" PENN STATE!" chant, because at Texas we have a motto that annoys the hell out of everyone... "we're Texas." We don't yell it, we just say it and act like we know we're better than everyone else... because... well... it's true. :)
I would love to see Joe Pa live and in person, and I think that game in Miami would be just as good as the Rose Bowl of 2005.
from about 1 month ago
Thanks for the compliment. I didn't say OU wasn't a good defense, I am just not sure how good they are. If they are good, then Texas is very good for putting up 45 on them. I agree that Florida is scary as hell, but as long as they lose one more time they have no shot at the title, at least not this year.
I think that Texas vs Penn State would be a great matchup. It would be an even better game than the USC Texas game, which was a classic. PSU's high powered offense and Top 15 defense against Texas' deadly passing game led by Heisman candidate Colt McCoy, complimented by a good rushing game and a good-looking defense.
about 1 month ago
I see what you mean. I'm not saying anything about PSU unless they beat Ohio State and Michigan in the next two weeks.....know what I'm saying?
from about 1 month ago
Yeah. We should beat Michigan, although it could be a close game because it will be a look-ahead to Ohio State...but I'll be there, hopefully to break the curse. Ohio State has not looked impressive, but PSU and OSU always play good games. However, this team is similar to the '94 team, which blew out Ohio State 63-10.
Ohio State will be a big test, and then if we win that game, Iowa on the road after an emotional win will be a sloppy game where we have to stay poised and come out on top. Michigan State is pretty good, but we have them at home and that will probably be where we are 11-0, if we win the next few games, and we cannot lose that game if we are undefeated, and even if we're not we still can't lose that game.
about 1 month ago
Yeah, but don't count your chickens. This is college football, after all
from about 1 month ago
I don't have chickens. :)
about 1 month ago
First Penn State really impressed me this weekend...admittedly Wisconsin is definitely reeling and not as good as once thought, but their defense has always been suspect, however I'm definitely starting to believe in Penn State despite the weak Big 10 and the fact that Penn State still hasn't beaten a high caliber team. I do however think that Texas should have jumped Alabama. For starters, Alabama was behind Texas in the polls the whole year, and then beat a highly overrated Georgia team that was #3 and all of a sudden jumped Texas and several other teams to #2. So then why if Texas beats the #1 team, which is by far and away a much more of a marquee win b/c OU is head and shoulders above Georgia in talent, shouldn't they do the same thing to Alabama that Alabama did to them? As for Alabama's wins, the Clemson win is no longer valid or impressive and will not get any points for Alabama in the BCS computers. Kentucky struggled against an anemic South Carolina team. Georgia obviously has several weaknesses, especially on their offensive line. Georgia has not dominated one single team that they have played this year. Their high ranking right now is only based on their high pre-season ranking and the fact that they play in the SEC which is being far too overrated this season. Furthermore, none of this really matters b/c if Texas can run through their schedule undefeated and then win the Big XII championship, which will be against either Missouri or Kansas and the game is in Kansas City, then Texas will undoutbedly be the #1 team going into the national championship. Plus it doesn't matter whether you are 1 or 2 as long as you are in the top 2. Just ask the last 3 national champions.
about 1 month ago
People just get carried away by emotions and vote.
When #8 Bama blew out #3 Georgia between the hedges, instant #2 ranking... when #5 Texas beats #1 Oklahoma on a neutral field, instant #1.
The fact that Bama was idle this week and looked vulnerable against Kentucky at home didn't help either.
Texas, on the other hand has never looked vulnerable this year.
That being said, the margin of defeat in both cases is around 10 and yet, Bama's win over Georgia looks so much more impressive.
Anyway... as they say.... rankings don't matter until they're final (or end of season) rankings.
from about 1 month ago
Thanks Red Raider... People love to over look Texas and anyone besides OU. If OU is the best team in college football, and we beat them... then what does that make us?
Oh, according to Penn St guy, that makes us the third best team...
from about 1 month ago
OU may not be the best team in college football, lets not get too excited. PSU may not be the best, but they are making a strong case for it. Texas or Bama should be ranked #1 right now, and I never said they shouldn't. You've just been getting ahead of yourself to the National Championship game. Right now, Bama should be at #1 because they didn't get a shot at #1 because of a bye week. If Bama played, and played bad this week, I would have Texas at #1. PSU is #3 right now, but you better watch out for them.
about 1 month ago
"TEXAS TECH managed to show they can win a close one, beating Nebraska in an overtime classic, while #3 Missouri couldn't, losing to Oklahoma State at home in a stunning game. The Cowboys are a fun team to watch...."
They also managed to show they can suck enough to turn an absolute blowout into a "close one". God knows what the coaches were thinking when they put them at #5 from #7.
about 1 month ago
Yeah, but win's a win.....oh, and I didn't see the game.
about 1 month ago
This is an intermediate ranking anyway.
If Texas survives its next three games they will deservedly be undisputed number 1.
If not, they'll drop and someone else will be number 1 anyway.
I'd like to note that PSU has BY FAR the easiest schedule of the top three teams. Michigan State is probably the best team they play. They've looked very good but I will be incredibly disappointed if they end up in the national championship game after having only beaten a bunch of overrated Big 10 foes. Sure their talent level may deserve to there (however we'll never actually know) but teams should have to take some risks during the season.
from about 1 month ago
oops forgot to talk about Bama. Clemson is terrible. Kentucky is not a notable win in any sense of the term. Oklahoma is better than Georgia. However little this ranking may matter, the resume argument definitely doesn't produce a clear number one.
about 1 month ago
Why does everyone underestimate our early-season win to Oregon State? Oregon State KILLED USC and we KILLED them and USC KILLED OSU. Transitive property (half sarcasm). But really the Big Ten is a big clustereff, but there is plenty of talent. If we sweep the Big Ten convincingly, I see no reason why the SEC teams should have a leg up on us, and there will be a huge public outcry if we get shafted.
about 1 month ago
http://viewfromnorthamerica.blogspot.com
Did you see the first half against Michigan? We were frickin' terrible!!
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