Bleacher Report - Articles by Mike Craven

Big 12 Power Rankings: Week Four

Mike Craven — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 08:29:44 -0400

Offensive Player of the Week

Chase Daniel, Missouri

The top quarterback in the Big 12 threw for four touchdowns and over 400 yards on only 28 pass attempts while setting Mizzou’s career passing record. Nevada may not have looked like a great opponent, and maybe they aren’t, but the same squad gave Texas Tech all they wanted a week before.

Defensive Player of the Week

Daniel Charbonnet, Texas Tech

SMU gave the Tech secondary plenty of chances to make plays, and Charbonnet made the most. He finished the game with three interceptions, including one on the game’s opening play.

Power Rankings

1. Oklahoma

Oklahoma continues to dominate. Next to USC, no one has looked as good as the Sooners.

Most years the knock on OU is that they don’t play every game with the same level of intensity. The game against Washington is one that Oklahoma has been known to walk through. Not this year. Bob Stoops’ team came out and put to bed early any idea of upset the Huskies might have had.

2. Missouri

I love Chase Daniel. I said it last week, and nothing has changed. Daniel seems to control the ball and his offense better than any quarterback in the country. It is as if he is playing a video game.

The defense is getting better, and Jeremy Maclin is a stud. Clearly Missouri is the top team in the Big 12 North.

3. Texas

Hurricane Ike gave the Horns an unexpected off week. Most fans see this as a bad thing, eliminating a break until before the A&M game.

The next two games (Rice and Arkansas) offer no real challenge, but in order to beat OU and Missouri the Longhorns must start getting better now, because there is clearly a disconnect between the top two teams and the rest of the conference.

4. Oklahoma State

Offense, offense, offense. This week the Cowboys' passing game took a break and let the running game carry the load. Three Oklahoma State running backs went for over 100 yards each.

If this team finds a defense, watch out. The country will start paying attention once OSU plays a legit team.

5. Texas Tech

Another huge night for Tech’s offense in a blowout over SMU, and this time the defense showed up too. Michael Crabtree may be the best receiver (or player) to come out of the Big 12. He had three touchdowns and over 160 yards receiving on eight catches.

If the defense gets better (they had five interceptions against SMU), Tech could contend for the Big 12 South.

6. Kansas

Even with the late game loss to a solid South Florida team, Kansas remains a top team in the Big 12 and the most likely challenger to Missouri. Todd Reesing continues to impress, but the defense is allowing as many yards as their prolific offense can produce.

There seems to be a recurring theme in this year’s conference, and that theme is offense over defense. The Jayhawks fit the bill.

7. Kansas State

Kansas State’s Josh Freeman faces his first big test this week with a Wednesday night game versus Louisville. Kansas State is the team with the most ability to move up or down in the Big 12 depending on how they play in the next few weeks.

As everyone knows, I’m big on Mr. Freeman, who has the most ability of any player taking snaps for his team.

8. Colorado

Colorado didn’t play this week, allowing the fans to soak in the near-loss to a Division I-AA team a week before. Colorado can erase all doubts of their respectability by handling West Virginia at home this Thursday. Look for true freshman Darrell Scott to become more and more of a factor.

9. Nebraska

Nebraska is improving each week behind the quarterback play of Joe Ganz. The Cornhuskers also face a big test with Virginia Tech coming up. Not much is known about this team, but that is about to change.

10. Texas A&M

Miami comes to town, and A&M better be ready. Stephen McGee should be healthy, and they must control the ball and eliminate mistakes if they are going to hang with the young but ultra-talented Hurricane team. If they don’t, this one could get ugly, resulting in another embarrassing loss to begin Mike Sherman’s career.

11. Baylor

The Bears have found their lead man for the foreseeable future. Robert Griffen continues to impress anyone who can handle watching a Baylor game. It has been too long since there has been a player in Waco worth tuning in for, but I think Art Briles may have found one in his first year.

12. Iowa State

Iowa State’s offense looks to be the worst in the conference. The defense may keep the Cyclones in some games they shouldn’t be, but don’t expect much but lopsided losses to come out of Ames this season.

Texas Moves to 2-0: Why Are the Fans So Mad?

Mike Craven — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 08:02:19 -0400

It must be hard to be a coach for the University of Texas.

The Longhorns only had two wins with a margin of victory near 30 points last year. This team has already matched that total, so obviously the fan base must be gushing over this year’s youth-riddled squad, right?

Not a chance.

After being outrushed and outgained by a UTEP team that has already lost to Buffalo, the message boards on UT sites are littered with more concern than praise. Two games into the season, and the questions going into the season appear to remain unanswered.

Who is the deep threat? Who will make big plays in the running game? Do they have a secondary?

All of these questions remain on the always unsatisfied tongues of the Longhorn nation. I’m glad I’m not Mack Brown.

“We’re 2-0,” said Mack Brown after the game. “Have we played our best? No, but who has in week two?”

Texas’ defense has allowed 10 points and 13 points in two games. The punt return team has already blocked three punts. Colt McCoy looks better than he ever has. Even Greg Davis seems to have opened up his playbook. Did anybody else jump out of their seat when that fake wide receiver screen scored to Jordan Shipley?

The early season has already seen West Virginia lose and Ohio State get tested by Ohio University. Rivals Texas A&M have already lost to Arkansas State, and the Sooners got tested by Cincinnati.

The days of blowing out all other opponents but a few on the schedule are over. Every program has good football players, and each of them wants to prove they belong with the big boys.

This has yet to sink in to the fans on the 40 acres. Only a few programs in the country have the expectations UT does, but where do the expectations come from? The Longhorns have won one National Championship in almost 40 years and have only scored victories in two Big 12 Championship games since the conference began.

This team is young, inexperienced, and learning on the fly. These facts blow by most onlookers like the crotch rockets on I-35. Over 15 redshirt and true freshmen are being counted on to contribute to this year’s team.

The growing pains are sure to be there, but listening to talk radio and surfing the web, it is clear most feel this team needs to accomplish what the 2004 team did in winning a BCS game to fulfill expectations. Not many think it will happen after the first two games.

Texas is ranked eighth nationally. I’ll say it again: eighth nationally. A decade ago we’d all be jumping through hoops and calling our Aggie friends to see if they’d seen the updated AP poll. In 2008 we mumble under our breath and worry about not winning well enough.

The fact is, this team is good—and they will continue to get better with each week. Even some co-eds on the mountain in El Paso were so aroused at the thought of the young talent on this team playing up to their potential that they played pocket pool in front of a national TV audience.

Mack Brown has spoiled Austin. Rick Barnes has spoiled Austin. Auggie Garrido has spoiled Austin.

Anybody remember where these programs were in the early to mid '90s? I do, and every time I watch a Texas game in any sport, I’m thankful I get to root for a contender every single year.

I think we all need to calm down, put on a foam finger, and remember—10 more games and we’ll all be wishing we could watch the Longhorns play football again.

Texas Longhorns Prove They’re Tough Enough in Blowout of FAU

Mike Craven — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 20:41:10 -0400

Florida Atlantic coach Howard Schnellenberger made comments about Texas’ perceived toughness heading into Saturday's non-conference matchup against the Longhorns. Whatever doubts there were quickly disappeared after the first snap in front of the biggest crowd ever to watch a football game in the state of Texas.

The Texas Longhorns started out their 2008 campaign strongly with a 52-10 victory over an overmatched FAU squad before a record crowd of 98,053 at Royal-Memorial Stadium.

Quarterback Colt McCoy led the way through the air (throwing for three touchdowns in a 24-for-29 performance for 222 yards without an interception or sack) and the ground (leading the team with 12 carries for 103 yards).

The ground game was stagnant at times, but the combination of Vondrell McGee and Chris Ogbannaya did well running and catching the ball out of the backfield. In the passing game, Texas must find a deep threat to contend with the big guys in this year’s Big 12 conference.

The brightest spot of the game for Texas, besides McCoy, had to be the offensive line. The group gave McCoy all night to throw, not allowing a sack in the game. Texas went two-deep throughout the night and played many players at every position.

Defensively, Texas dealt with some struggles tackling in the secondary. The box score will indicate the night this group had. New defensive coordinator Will Muschamp will be happy with the total points given up, but knows an effort like the one Saturday night will not result in only 10 points scored to the likes of Kansas, Missouri, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma.

The front seven played well for the Longhorns, putting pressure on the quarterback and preventing Florida Atlantic from averaging over 2.0 yards per carry.

After FAU gift-wrapped a turnover because of an errant snap less than three minutes into the game, Texas went right down the field with Cody Johnson running it in to put the Horns on top, 7-0 following the converted extra point. They never looked back, as McCoy added his first touchdown pass of the night to Ogbannaya.

Texas scored twice more in the second quarter, on a pass to Jordan Shipley from McCoy, and a nice run from McCoy after a good drive. FAU scored its only points of the game in the second when Rusty Smith hooked up with Rob Housler on a seam pass to which safety Earl Thomas arrived too late.

The second half saw Texas dominate. For a young team like Texas, it was good to get snaps for all the young guys. Over 10 true freshmen saw the field. Texas scored seven touchdowns in the game, all by different players. This will be the signature of this team, which lacks bigtime stars. In order to have success, everyone must step up.

And the defense needs to tackle.

Texas Football Starts the Climb Back to the Top

Mike Craven — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 19:10:39 -0400

The University of Texas football team heads into the opening game of the season with more questions than usual. The recent release of the depth chart showed over ten positions listed with “co-starters."

Who is the No. 3 receiver? Who will get the majority of the carries? Will the line come together? How will the secondary perform? All of these questions and more have been on the minds, tongues, and keyboards of a lot of UT fans this off season.

With all the questions comes something Texas rarely has a chance to do. Overachieve. Usually the fan base knows what to expect. With the new defensive coordinator and talk by Mack Brown of opening up the offense before facing Oklahoma has many fans quietly excited about a season where expectations range from Alamo Bowl to Fiesta Bowl.

Mack Brown has compared this team to the 2004 squad. That team went on to win the Rose Bowl over Michigan, setting up a run at the National Title. What made that group special was confidence.

This group will need the same type of swagger and all the reports coming out of camp indicate new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp and running backs coach Major Applewhite have brought an attitude and toughness to the team that has been lacking the last two years.

The criticisms that Florida Atlantic Coach Howard Schnellenberger made about Texas’ toughness may have rustled feathers in the program, but that doesn’t change the fact the comments were true.

Over the years, the program in Austin has been a lot of things, hard-nosed and tough are not two of them. Too many times the Longhorns have given up games when they couldn’t afford to.

The victory in back-to-back Rose Bowls had done a lot to erase these memories. That is until the team imploded at the end of the next two seasons.

For many fans the euphoria has worn off and now it is time to win again. On Saturday August 30^th in the improved DKR, Vince Young will have his jersey retired. And when

he does it will officially end the honeymoon this program has been on in the last two years.

A new group of players who made no contribution to that title now have the opportunity to show they can live up to the expectations and a coaching staff must prove there career wasn’t made by a once in a life time player.

The quest finally begins this weekend.

Texas Longhorn Preview: Defense

Mike Craven — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:23:26 -0400

Here is a preview of the University of Texas' defense for the upcoming season:

Projected Lineup:

DE: Brian Orakpo, Henry Melto

DT: Roy Miller, Lamarr Houston

LB: Rashad Bobino, Roddrick Muckelroy, Sergio Kindle

CB: Ryan Palmer, Deon Beasley

S: Earl Thomas, Ben Wells

Overview:

For the first time in a long time, the Longhorns are young at defensive tackle and in the secondary. They return their linebackers and are five to six deep at defensive end. The biggest change in this year’s defense will be in scheme. New defensive coordinator Will “Coach Boom” Muschamp brings an aggressive SEC style to the 40 acres.

The players are already flocking to Muschamp and speaking as if his word is gold. Even with the inexperience, this defense should be athletic and aggressive. Expect more big plays, maybe for both Texas’ defense and the opposing offense.

Strengths:

The two strengths have to be the depth and talent at DE and at linebacker. Texas has always liked to rotate at end and this year’s depth should be the best that has been on campus. The speed of this year’s squad should be back at the level of the team that won the championship in 2005. And if you have seen an Auburn defense the last few years the arrival of Muschamp has to be the biggest strength.

Question Marks:

Luckily for the Longhorns the weaknesses could easily become strengths. This year’s secondary is already being compared to the young secondary of Huff, Brown, and Michael and Cedric Griffin. If the young group, that also includes Christian Scott and Blake Gideon, comes anywhere close to living up the hype, offenses will no longer feast on the secondary.

The size at DT has to scare the coaches. Apart from Roy Miller the other contributors will be made up of ex-defensive ends and true freshman. If the young guys step up and Houston performs like some are expecting, this position could also become a strength.

The biggest obstacle for this team will be the schedule. They face Tech, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. All figure to be top offenses. Each relies heavily on the pass and will try to exploit the inexperience in the secondary.

Matchup to watch: (DE) Henry Melton vs. Sam Acho

After the first couple of practices it has become evident to all that the sophomore Acho needs to be on the field. He has made play after play in team drills. Even if he is only in on passing downs, Sam figures to take a lot of snaps away from Melton. Couple Acho with once five-star prospect Eddie Jones and the former fullback Melton must produce to stay on the field.

X-Factor: Sergio Kindle

How new DC Muschamp will use Kindle has been the major question of fall practice. The big time athlete has been on a different level so far when coming off the edge. Sergio appears to do better when blitzing than in space so he figures to be more of a blitzer than a true linebacker. With Texas playing more 4-2-5, Christian Scott will replace him on the field unless Coach Muschamp is convinced he can play with his hand on the ground on occasion.

Surprise Player: Blake Gideon

Maybe Muschamp sees himself in Gideon or maybe he is just that good. Either way, on the first day of practice the unknown true freshman was lined up with the first teamers at safety. The fact is the kid is good and he already seems to understand the schemes. Even if he isn’t the starter it is obvious he will contribute, especially on special teams.

Can Colt McCoy Lead the Inexperienced Texas Longhorns Offense?

Mike Craven — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 10:40:06 -0400

University of Texas Preview

OFFENSE

Projected Lineup:

QB- Colt McCoy

RB- Vondrell McGee

WR- Quan Cosby, Jordan Shipley, Malcolm Williams

TE- Blaine Irby

OL- (LT) Adam Ulatowski, (LG) Charlie Tanner, (C) Chris Hall,

(RG) Cedric Dockery, (RT) Kyle Hix

Overview:

Texas loses playmakers at each of the skill positions to the NFL, with two of them (Jamaal Charles and Jermichael Finley) leaving early. The other (Limas Sweed) was out most of last season.

Going into camp, Texas needs to replace their production and find players to make big plays. The coaching staff feels they have the talent to do that, although they admit none of the replacements have proven it on the field.

Strengths

Colt McCoy returns for his junior season after two underrated years as UT quarterback. If McCoy gets his interceptions down to where they were in his freshman year, the Texas offense should be in good hands once again.

Jordan Shipley and Quan Cosby return to help out Colt with their consistent hands.

Question Marks

This Texas team is loaded with these. The offensive line is talented but has little experience or proven depth. The tight end position is wide open, even though the group has looked good thus far.

Even though two solid contributors return on the outside, Texas has to find a deep threat in the mold of Limas Sweed or Roy Williams. Malcolm Williams and Dan Buckner look the part, but nobody knows for sure if they are ready.

Match-up to watch:

(LG) Charlie Tanner vs. Michael Huey

Charlie Tanner has the experience and seniority, but many in the program are comparing Huey to ex-Longhorn Kasey Studdard. Historically, Mack Brown has given the early nod to the older player.

The money should be on Tanner to start the season. Huey should get the majority of the snaps, eventually getting the starting nod.

X-Factor: John Chiles

The second-string quarterback expects to be much more than that this year. Through the first two days of practice, Greg Davis and UT’s offense have seemed to focus on moving Chiles around.

Chiles has lined up at slot, at running back in the shotgun, and at QB. Coaches have said the new “Big Board” they completed over the summer, listing the top players regardless of position, forced them to find ways to get Chiles more involved. Expect him to be used like Hines Ward when he was at Georgia.

Surprise Player: Josh Marshall

So much has been said about backup RB Foswhitt Whittaker that he can no longer be looked at as a surprise player. Tight End Josh Marshall has opened eyes early in fall practice and with no proven commodities in front of him, Marshall should be a factor before the season is done.

Most expected Irby to get the catches and Peter Ullman to do most of the blocking. Don’t be surprised if Marshall takes away from both of their roles as the season heads on.

Open Mic: University of Texas' All-Time Lineup of the Mack Brown Era

Mike Craven — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 07:37:30 -0400

All-Time Texas Team: Mack Brown Era

I hate all-time lists. Most of the time they consist of players that nobody has seen play.

When asked who the greatest running back of all time is, my friends answer “Jim Brown” with no hesitation. We are 23 years old—none of us have seen more than mere highlights of the man.

Jim Thorpe was ranked as the number one athlete of the first half of the 20th century in 1951. By the time ESPN did their list in 1999, he had dropped to seven behind Jesse Owens and Babe Ruth. This was done purely on hype.

Had Thorpe become a worse athlete? Of course not. But Jesse Owens and Babe Ruth had become legends.

For this reason, my list is only University of Texas players who were signed by Mack Brown. Sorry Ricky Williams, Leonard Davis, and Quinton Jammer.

The list is dominated by the 2005 National Championship team and contains a good number of guys signed in the 2002 recruiting class.

(No kickers were included to keep this an All-Time Football list. Sorry Dusty Mangum.)

QB—Vince Young

Was there any doubt? All he did was lead UT to their first BCS Championship and their first overall Championship in 35 years. VY single-handedly removed Mack Brown’s tag as an underachiever with two huge Rose Bowl games.

RB—Cedric Benson

Even with Benson’s problems in the NFL, this was a no-brainer. El Ced is the third-leading rusher in Texas’ history and was one of the best Texas high school football players of all time, compiling three 5A State Championships and player of the year awards.

FB—Will Mathews

“Head Ache” is the best pure fullback Mack Brown has had in his time at Texas. Over the last few years the position has been abandoned in the offense, so his position on this team may be safe for a while.

WR—Roy Williams

Roy left the 40 acres as the all-time leader in about every statistical category, including receptions (241), yards (3,866), and touchdowns (36) in his career. The “Legend” also was a physical freak and maybe the best athlete ever to play at Texas.

WR—Limas Sweed

The all-time season leader in touchdowns (12, tied with Roy Williams) gets the nod at the other receiver spot. Limas got off to a slow start in his career but came on strong in Texas’ run for the national title. He caught the most important ball of Mack Brown’s career when he pulled in the game-winning touchdown in “The Horse Shoe” to beat Ohio State.

TE—Bo Scaife

I’m going to go with him over David Thomas. Thomas was the best pass-catching tight end but Scaife offered more. He didn’t put up the numbers Thomas did, but his impact at the position was undeniable.

OT—Justin Blaylock

The best offensive lineman at Texas in the 21st century gets the start at tackle because that is what he played at Texas. He was recruited to and will play guard in the NFL

OG—Derrick Dockery

Derrick is the best guard to play at UT under Coach Brown. He recently signed one of the biggest contracts ever for a guard in the NFL. He was a run creator and remarkably nimble for a man his size.

C—Will Allen

Technically Allen ended his career at guard because of a hand injury. While he was at center he offered the best combination of size, athleticism, and smarts that UT has seen at the position. He was an Academic All-American and is a member of the All-Time Rose Bowl team.

OG—Kasey Studdard

This could be a biased pick. Big Stud was my favorite football player ever at UT. He was the ideal guard. He was big, he was mean, and his favorite thing in life was lying on top of defenseless D-linemen. Kasey was also fond of his belly and showed it off whenever he could.

OT—Jonathan Scott

If you just listen to Jonathan’s dad, it doesn't take long to figure out how good he was. He is the best pure OT that Mack Brown has had. Scott was unbelievably athletic for his size. He was also a leader on the football team every year he was there.

DE—Cory Redding

The first big defensive recruit of Mack Brown’s tenure, Cory Redding ended up being a dominant lineman during his four years at Texas. He played big in big games, like outplaying Julius Peppers in Austin.

DT—Rod Wright

Rod started as many games as almost anyone ever to play at Texas. He anchored a strong D-line for many years. Many believed he was an underachiever, but I’m of the opinion he was hyped too much coming out of high school.

DT—Marcus Tubbs

Tubby picked up where Shaun Rogers and Casey Hampton left off. Marcus was a joy to be around and a joy to watch on the field. Even though he was known to take off a play or two, he was the most dominant DT Mack Brown has recruited.

DE—Tim Crowder

Tim Crowder was the most underrated player on the 2005 National Championship team. Along with Brian Robison, Crowder kept defenses off balance with a great combination of run and pass defense. He never put up great numbers, but that has more to do with his defensive responsibilities than his skill set.

OLB—Derrick Johnson

D.J. is without question the best defensive player Mack Brown has ever brought to Austin. He set a record for fumbles forced and was the main concern for every team that played against him.

MLB—Aaron Harris

Minus Mr. Johnson, Mack Brown has had trouble producing big time linebackers. I’ll put Aaron here because of his number of starts in the middle, his leadership abilities, and his performances in the Rose Bowls.

OLB—Rashad Bobino

Refer to Aaron Harris. Bobino is probably the worst athlete on the list, but if he starts as expected this year, he will end his career as a four-year contributor in a program that has won the most games over his career.

CB—Aaron Ross

Winning the Thorpe award goes a long way to putting you on the all-time list. I almost went with Cedric Griffin, but Cedric never had to deal with #1 receivers.

CB—Nathan Vasher

In my opinion, Nathan Vasher is the best DB Mack Brown has ever produced. “ESPN 3” had it all. He could run, he could hit, and if you punted him the ball you were stupid. His battles with Roy Williams in practice are legendary.

FS—Michael Huff

Huff left Texas as the best safety the University had ever produced. He won the Thorpe award as the best DB in the nation. Not only was he a good safety, many times Michael was assigned the other team's best WR.

SS—Michael Griffin

There were few choices here, so I went with the man who made the interception that shifted momentum in the 2005 Rose Bowl. Michael Griffin was a sure tackler and could emerge as a top safety in the NFL.

Texas Football Roundtable Chat: Mike Craven Q&A's

Mike Craven — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 08:27:07 -0400

1.) There was a position battle this spring at the running back position. Most Texas fans see Vondrell McGee carrying most of the workload with Froswitt Whittaker splitting some carries. How important are these two backs going to be and what do you think their production will be like? Is a 1,000 yard season possible for McGee?

I think very highly of Vondrell McGhee. He isn't a home run threat like Jamaal Charles, but he will get you four yards consistently with a chance to break a 20 to 30 yarder. I definitely think he has 1,000 yard potential; his problem will be getting enough carries to get there.

With the offense becoming more like Tech's and with Whittaker taking some snaps, his opportunities may be limited. He can change this by coming out early and setting the tone. In my opinion he is the most underrated RB to come through Texas since Hodges Mitchell.

2.) Texas' 2008 recruiting class is ranked 14th in the country by Rivals.com. How pleased are you with this class and who do you think will be the impact players of the future from it?

I like the 2008 class, but on paper it lacks play makers. Desean Hales has a chance to be a Ramonce Taylor type, and he will need to be to keep John Chiles and Curtis Brown in their respective positions.

The biggest need for Texas' offense is a play maker. Texas doesn't need many of them to contribute right away, but the two DTs Humphrey and Randall will be counted on to play some snaps. I think D.J. Monroe becomes the best player from this class, and the best DB at Texas since Nathan Vasher. I think he is that good.

3.) Texas opens the season with FAU, UTEP, Arkansas, and Rice. Are there any non-conference games that scare you this year?

The UTEP game scares the crap out of me. For some reason the UTEP game gives me nightmares. It reminds me of the Central Florida game from last year. It will be closer than people will predict and it will have more to do with UTEP being good than Texas playing bad.

With Arkansas' coach and players migrating from the program, I hope Texas can handle them pretty easily.

4.) How realistic is it to think that Texas will win the Big 12 South over Oklahoma this year? What will it take for this to happen?

Even with my orange colored glasses on I don't see Texas winning the Big 12 South. Who would have thought replacing Nebraska and Kansas State with Missouri and Kansas would be a bad thing?

Combine that with Tech being better (may win Big 12 and be this year's Kansas), Oklahoma bringing most people back, and the recent problems with A&M, and I don't see how they pull it off.

If they catch a few breaks, they find a deep threat, and the secondary comes together they could surprise me. I'm hoping they do.