Bleacher Report - Dallas

Brad Richards: Finally Earning His Pay from Dallas

Kyle Brown — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:39:00 -0500

So far into this season, Brad Richards has been good—scratch that—Brad Richards has been really good. Averaging over a point a game 25 games in, Richards finds himself fifth in the league in points. Say what?

The Stars have never been a team full of superstars (Mike Modano and Brett Hull are arguably the only two huge names to play since the team moved to Dallas), nor have they been an offensive team, often utilizing the trap and typically playing in low-scoring games. Richards is defying both of these ideologies this year, however, proving them to be nothing but myths.

For those that don't know or have simply forgotten, Richards was surprisingly traded to Dallas on the 2007-08 season trade deadline alongside goalie Johan Holmqvist, in exchange for backup goaltender Mike Smith, Jeff Halpern, Jussi Jokinen and a draft pick.

The move, which would end up costing the Stars around $8-million for the remaining years on his contract, was supposed to be the missing piece to win the Stars the Stanley Cup.

Richards had already won a cup, not to mention the Conn Smythe the same year, and this was expected to give the Stars enough playoff experience and power that they'd go all the way. That didn't happen. Richards did however provide offensively, proven by his setting an NHL record one game by putting up four points in a period in the second round.

Where Richards lacked was defensively, ultimately being a liability whenever the puck was in Dallas' zone, just as many critics suggested would happen. (Richards went an awful -27 through 74 games that regular season.)

Then there was last year, where Richards was injured twice leading him to play just over 50 games, and putting up 48 points. Many fans would be happy with a near point-per-game player, but not those of Dallas (myself included), who felt that considering he put up over 70 points in his last four seasons in Tampa, the Stars were paying too much for a player to have just a good season.

Throw in a shaky season by Marty Turco who had a GAA under .900, and many fans thought trading a quality young goalie in Mike Smith was a bad decision.

Cue this season. Richards came in the twelfth highest player in the NHL. The Stars missed their first playoff birth since 2002, decided Brett Hull and Les Jackson weren't cutting it as GM's, and fired Dave Tippett, their bench boss since the '02-'03 season. The Stars needed to shine, but early injuries to Mike Modano and Jere Lehtinen, combined with the loss of long-time defenseman Sergei Zubov to the KHL left the Stars without many of their veteran leaders. Richards answered the call.

So far this year, he has set-up everyone on the ice. He has 32 points, and is even playing well offensively, boasting a +/- actually on the plus side (something he hadn't done since the '03-'04 Stanley Cup season.) At his current rate, Richards is on par for a career season in points. He has helped keep the Stars at a decent record, as they currently sit in a three-way tie for sixth in the West.

The Stars' stars are quickly recovering and joining the team, and in large part to Richards play the team is still in contention to finish high in the division (much unlike Toronto who crumbled without star player Phil Kessel).

Regardless of what the reason is: Olympic year, trade talk, criticism from the fans, Richards has stepped his game up. He has silenced his doubters in Dallas, and as a Stars fan I am finally happy to say that he is proving that all the money is worth it. While it has been a long wait for Richards to do what Stars fans hoped, he picked a great year to do it.

With linemate James Neal exploding as well, Turco playing well, and Modano possibly retiring at the conclusion of the season, the stars seem to be aligned for Dallas.

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MWC Power Rankings: Post-Regular Season Edition

Pete Misthaufen — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:37:24 -0500

It has been another interesting year for the Mountain West Conference. While the top four teams remain the same, just with some minor reshuffling. TCU's undefeated season marks the six consecutive year that the MWC champion has gone undefeated in conference, though all three teams of the MWC Big Three have done it twice. Over these six seasons, the MWC conference champion has lost a total of five out of conference games. What is even more impressive is that the MWC has three teams in the BCS top 25 for the second consecutive year. The top three teams combined for two out of conference losses. The top of the conference is clearly at a BCS level, while the rest of the conference needs to catch up. As to the middle and bottom of the conference, things have definitely changed from the preseason positions. My preseason power rankings: 1. TCU 2. BYU 3. Utah 4. UNLV 5. Air Force 6. CSU 7. San Diego State 8. Wyoming 9. New Mexico Things have definitely changed from that. Interesting enough, every team in the power rankings for the end of the season defeated all the teams ranked behind it. Let's take a look.

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Bob Stoops' "No" To Notre Dame Means No, Right?

Allen Kenney — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:08:11 -0500

It was a nugget of information in college football's summer slowdown that probably didn't make much news outside of Sooner Land: Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops and his staff had traveled to Tuscaloosa for an offseason skull session with Nick Saban's crew .

Were they trading ideas about defending Florida's funky option attack? Discussing the intricacies of the no-huddle? Swapping theories about talent evaluation?

Or, was Slick Nick teaching OU's head man the art of living with a lie? After all, Saban seems to be doing just fine since telling anyone who would listen that he wasn't interested in the Alabama job while still coaching the Miami Dolphins. Tens of millions of dollars later, we all know how that turned out.

"What I'm saying is I'm going to be at Oklahoma next year. I can't be in two places at once," Stoops said today when asked point blank about the rumors linking him to the open Notre Dame coaching vacancy.

Sounds pretty definitive. So why should we take ESPN's Adam Schefter seriously when he goes on the air hours later and reports that the Fightin' Irish are negotiating the details of a deal with Oklahoma's coach? Well, there's this comment, also taken from Stoops' teleconference today: "I'm not confirming or denying anything about Notre Dame or any other job. My point is this is what I love doing right now."

If I was an eternally optimistic Irish fan, I know how I'd interpret that.

"You should know everything reported isn't true," Stoops told the Tulsa World tonight, responding to Schefter's report.

True that, but what about Notre Dame?

"I don't lie," Stoops told the World.

Well, to borrow a line from an accomplished liar, that depends on what the definition of "is" is, coach.

I don't really "know" what I'm going to be doing 15 minutes after I finish writing this. I "intend" to watch the romantic tear-jerker Nights in Rodanthe on HBO. That doesn't mean I'm not entertaining the idea of watching the Transiberian Orchestra concert video on PBS, though, does it?

Such is life for fans in the wake of the distrust guys like Saban and Bobby Petrino hath wrought. We immediately suspect that "no" from a college football coach really means "it depends on how much more money you offer me."

(To be fair, I don't blame coaches for their wandering eyes. If schools like 'Bama and Notre Dame want to throw it out there like Rachel Uchitel at a Masters party, it's tough not to look.)

As I've said before –and this is coming from someone Stoops wouldn't know from Adam–I don't think the idea that he would be interested in taking over in South Bend is completely crazy. But he won't take the job.

Despite what some folks south of the Red River would have you believe, Stoops has never shown himself to be a liar. In fact, for all his media-induced surliness and propensity for coachspeak, most who know him well consider him the straightest of shooters. So, when he releases a statement like the one he put out through the school Monday night , I believe him: "I stand by the comments that I made earlier today. I will be at Oklahoma. Any reporting to the contrary is completely unfounded."

I see no reason to think he's lying about this. And make no mistake, that's what this would be, a lie–and a big one at that.

No amount of double-talk and hair-splitting could change that. Thankfully, OU fans shouldn't worry.

At least, I don't think they should.

For more of Allen Kenney's analysis of college football and the Oklahoma Sooners, check out Blatant Homerism .

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Does Texas' Will Muschamp Have What It Takes To Be the Head Honcho?

Dino Nicandros — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:22:22 -0500

Many college football fans around the country know defensive coordinator Will Muschamp for the all too recognizable sound clip making the rounds on YouTube, where he yells "Boom (expletive)" after a vicious hit made by one of his players.

While he may have not been aware that the ABC microphones were on at the time, I doubt he'd care anyway.

Will Muschamp wears his emotions on his sleeve and he's proud of it. His enthusiasm for the game, and more specifically for hard-hitting defense, rubs off on his players.

Muschamp has moved around a lot (LSU, Miami Dolphins, Auburn, and Texas), but his defenses have always been top of the line, and more importantly, well disciplined.

His arrival at Texas in 2008 bred major success for the Longhorns, as they finished 12-1 and were one controversial ruling away from the national title game.

This season, Muschamp's philosophy has really set in as Texas is ranked fifth in total defense (first in rush defense).

Muschamp's triumph at Texas has been so significant that following the 2008 season he was tagged as the "Head Coach-in-Waiting", meaning that when Mack Brown decides to step down, Muschamp will take over the program.

There are many questions surrounding this scenario, however. First and foremost, when will Mack step down and will Will Muschamp wait around for that long?

Mack Brown signed a 10-year contract extension following Texas' national championship victory in 2006. He's slated to be at Texas until 2016, unless he signs another extension or steps down before then.

While it is unlikely that Brown will stick around until 2016, I do see him completing the Garrett Gilbert project before he contemplates hanging it up.

Muschamp has staved off multiple rumours that he's thinking about heading elsewhere. Prior to being deemed the next guy in Austin, his name came up for coaching vacancies at Clemson, Tennessee, Washington, Auburn, and more recently, Notre Dame.

I believe Muschamp will indeed wait. He's in the perfect situation and has all the tools to be successful as the head guy on the Forty Acres.

He has wonderful coaching role model in Mack Brown to learn under.

He has a talent pool that can't be matched anywhere in the state, or perhaps even the country.

He has a supportive fan base and generous alumni donors.

Will Muschamp's personality and coaching style is exactly what a post-Mack Brown Texas would need.

While Mack Brown is the perfect mold of what a college football coach should be, Muschamp adds his own, unique edge. He's only 38, so his youthful passion and fervor would be well received by both players and fans.

Youth also has its advantages on the recruiting trail. Recruits can relate better to a younger coach like Muschamp (not to say Mack doesn't do an incredible job of wooing players).

Try imagining for a second the Texas program developing an even more talented crop of players than they already have available. Hard I know, but if anyone could meet, or even exceed, Mack Brown's ability as a master recruiter, it's Will Muschamp.

His honest and straight-forward mentality could win over a lot of recruits, especially on the defensive side of the ball, that have thoughts of going elsewhere. After all, Muschamp did coach in the SEC for an extended period of time, so it is likely that he could open Texas up to a whole new crop of talented youngsters in the deep south.

Muschamp will continue to be tempted by other teams with head coaching jobs available, as he is one of the hottest assistant coaches in the nation, but ultimately I see him waiting his turn at Texas and inheriting one of college football's premiere programs.

His sheer determination and will to win bode well for a Texas program looking to extend its Big 12 dominance in to the next decade.

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Dallas Cowboys Injury Report: November 30th

Derek Major — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:53:47 -0500

The Cowboys came out of Oakland healthy and with the Cowboys playing on a short week they have nine days before their next game against the New York Giants.

Linebacker Victor Butler suffered a sprained knee against the Raiders Thursday. He practiced on a limited basis toady but Coach Wade Phillips said it was unknown if Butler would practice on Wednesday.

Safety Ken Hamlin missed practice on Monday but the boot was taken off of his sprained ankle. He's expected to miss 2-4 weeks but it looks like he's recovering faster than expected. Alan Ball will start a third straight game at safety if Hamiln can't go this week.

Tight End Jason Witten played despite a sore foot and looked fine on the field, catching five balls for 107 yards. Witten has missed just one game his entire career and he's expected to practice and play this week.

Linebacker DeMarcus Ware is still playing with a stress fracture but did have a sack in Thursday's game against the Raiders and has eight sacks on the season. Ware is also expected to play against the Giants.

Quarterback Tony Romo played a great game against the Raiders and showed no signs of having a sore back. He practiced on Monday and is expected to start on Sunday.

Running back Marion Barber (Thumb), Linebacker Keith Brooking (Ankle), Safety Gerald Sensabaugh (Wrist), Corner Mike Jenkins (bicep), and Kicker David Buehler (Toe) all played in Thursday's game despite minor injuries and aren't expected to miss any time.

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48 Hours Make Colt McCoy the Clear Heisman Front-Runner

Jeff Dillon — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:40:34 -0500

Forty-eight hours.

That is all it took for Colt McCoy to take charge in the Heisman race.

The Texas quarterback, whom many felt was robbed in the voting a season ago, has been one of many names thrown out as possibilities to win college football's most distinguished award.

Perhaps never before had the Heisman race been so unclear so late in the season. "Unclear" in the terms of about 10 or so names all deserving consideration.

Tim Tebow, C.J. Spiller, Toby Gerhart, Jimmy Clausen, Case Keenum, Mark Ingram, and several other names were mentioned not only as candidates, but as Heisman front-runners.

Not any more.

On a wild Thursday night in College Station, Colt McCoy delivered his long-awaited Heisman moment.

The Texas A&M Aggies were playing their best football of the season. Junior quarterback Jerrod Johnson was pulling his best Vince Young impression. The College Station faithful were intent on an upset that would have undercut the Longhorns' BCS title hopes.

Then Colt McCoy took over.

The senior not only threw for 304 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions, he also rushed for 175 yards-a career high-and a touchdown.

All-in-all: 479 total offensive yards, five scores and a 49-39 Texas win.

Anyone who watched the Thanksgiving night shoot-out saw just how significant McCoy was to his team's avoidance of a monumental upset.

McCoy repeatedly willed the Longhorns down the field, answering every challenge the Aggies put forth. He played smart, efficient, and gutsy football.

This was a guy intent on keeping his team's undefeated record and national title hopes alive and well.

This was a guy that looked like a Heisman winner.

Just one day later, McCoy's Heisman hopes were given another boost when Alabama's Mark Ingram—considered the award front-runner by many—was held to just 30 yards on 16 carries.

And while the weekend saw impressive performances from other names, including Tebow, Gerhart, and Spiller, no player had a game like McCoy's.

With championship weekend on the horizon, McCoy's numbers read: 3,328 passing yards, 27 TD's, 368 rushing yards, two TD's, and a perfect 12-0 record.

Sure, names like Tebow, Gerhart, and Spiller all have impressive stats, too. But none of them have been the difference in a historical season the way McCoy has been with the Texas Longhorns.

And no one has been the difference in a season-defining win the way McCoy was Thursday night in College Station.

Before Thanksgiving, the Heisman race was a wide-open guessing game. Two days later, some voters likely already had their ballot in the mail.

It's Colt McCoy's season. And it's Colt McCoy's Heisman.

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Texas Longhorns Suspend Marcus Davis Indefinitely

Brittany Jacobs — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 03:19:16 -0500

Freshman defensive back Marcus Davis has been suspended indefinitely after being arrested in Pearland (approximately 15 miles South East of Houston) early Saturday morning.

Davis was pulled over around 6:45 AM as he was driving with a flat tire. He was then arrested for driving while intoxicated and for possession of a controlled substance.

"We are very disappointed to hear about the recent allegations against Marcus Davis," Texas coach Mack Brown said in a statement. "He will not be involved in team activities in any way at this time, including participating in either the Big 12 Championship or our bowl game, pending the completion of the legal process."

This is the second arrest in a matter of weeks for the Texas Longhorns. Redshirt freshman D.J. Monroe was arrested two weeks ago on DWI charges. He was pulled over on I-35, the main highway that runs through Austin. He too has been suspended.

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Texas A&M Basketball Hits the National Stage With Full Force

Jeff Shull — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 02:07:58 -0500

The Texas A&M Basketball team has arrived. With wins over two ranked opponents this Thanksgiving holiday weekend, people will start considering the Aggies as a real opponent to Kansas and Texas for the Big 12 title.

In the 76 Classic tournament, the Ags opened up play with a convincing win over No. 19 Clemson, winning 69-60. The Aggies used defense, three point shooting, and a 15-2 late first half run to put away Clemson.

The team is playing unselfish ball and incredible team defense; something that has not lacked since Billy Gillespie coached the team.

BJ Holmes led the Aggies past the Tigers with 20 points. His leadership staved off a late second half run that saw their lead cut to two.

The Aggies are the definition of a balanced team; they have had four different leading scorers in six games. They know they can turn to a number of different players to lead them offensively in any situation.

In the semi-final game of the tournament, the Aggies faced No. 8 West Virginia and lost 73-66. They fell short defensively due to the absence of All-Big 12 defender Derrick Roland for most of the game due to injury.

The game was close for most of the game before a 12-1 Mountaineer second half run with the scored tied at 44. The Aggies refused to quit. They fought back from an 11 point deficit to cut it to four with 1:08 left. After a free throw, A&M got the ball back down five with a chance to stay in the game.

However, Donald Sloan gave the game away by allowing Devin Ebanks to steal the ball from him and go down for a slam dunk and a foul. He made the free throw to end any hope of an Aggie run. Just for good measure, he did the exact same thing to Sloan their next possession.

Although they were without their defensive stud, they still managed to give a top 10 team all they could handle. How would they come off a tough loss, you might ask?

The Aggies responded by beating No. 16 Minnesota in the third place game.

Derrick Roland was back and healthy as ever. He turned in 19 points to go along with his usual dominance in perimeter defense.

Even though the Aggies got the victory, the late turnovers and poor free throw shooting almost gave the game away. 50 free throws per player at the next practice would do the team some good; just ask Memphis fans.

The Aggies had a 66-59 lead with just over a minute to play, but allowed the Golden Gophers within one and a chance to win the game with 19.4 seconds left. Bryan Davis saved the game, blocking Paul Carter's shot with around five seconds to play.

A&M has arrived, whether you like it or not.

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The Way I See it: A Look at College Football's Top 25 (Nov. 29)

Drew Gatewood — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:56:19 -0500

1. Texas 12-0

The Big 12 Championship and a BCS title Game berth are on the line for the Longhorns this week.

Next: Nebraska

2. Florida 12-0

We’ve been waiting for this game all year, and so has The Crimson Tide.

Next: Alabama

3. Alabama 12-0

They travel to Atlanta with revenge on their minds, but will this year be any different?

Next: Florida

4. TCU 12-0

They’re waiting to see whom they play in a BCS bowl.

Next: Bowl Game

5. Cincinnati 11-0

The Bearcats had better sleep on an angry Panther team this week.

Next: Pittsburgh

6. Boise State 12-0

Will Boise be able to gain enough respect for an at large BCS bid?

Next: Bowl Game

7. Ohio State 10-2

The Buckeyes are in the clubhouse waiting for their show-down with the winner of Ducks and Beavers.

Next: (Rose Bowl)

8. Oregon 9-2

The ducks haven’t fared well in the civil war lately, they need to change that in order to smell the roses.

Next: Oregon State

9. Iowa 10-2

They won an ugly game and now wait to see if they can get a BCS at large bid.

Next: Bowl Game

10. Penn State 10-2

The Nittany Lions looked very impressive during their 42-14 win

Next: Bowl Game

11. Virginia Tech 8-3

The Hokies crushed the Cavaliers after a rough first half.

Next: Bowl Game

12. BYU 9-2

It took an overtime, but they beat Utah and improved bowl positioning.

Next: Bowl Game

13. Nebraska 8-3

The Huskers want to ruin Texas’s season and go to a BCS bowl.

Next: Bowl Game

14. Pittsburgh 9-2

The Big East crown is on the line this week along with the Panthers respect.

Next: Cincinnati

15. Georgia Tech 10-2

A dropped pass on fourth down doomed the Jackets against the Dawgs.

Next: Clemson

16. Houston 9-2

Houston’s 73 points are tops among any college football team this year.

Next: ECU

17. USC 8-3

They beat UCLA, but three losses on the year still stings a bit.

Next: Bowl Game

18. California 8-3

Beating the Huskies puts them in a better bowl.

Next: Washington

19. LSU 9-3

Another nail biter for LSU fans, this time turns out on the positive side.

Next: Bowl Game

20. Miami 9-3

The Canes made it rain on USF this weekend, once again beating their instate rival.

Next: Bowl Game

21. West Virginia 8-3

The Backyard Brawl turned out to be another nail biter in the fourth quarter.

Next: Bowl Game

22. Oregon State 8-3

The Civil war will always mean more than a Rose Bowl berth, but this year it adds another level of excitement.

Next: Oregon

23. Utah 9-3

The Utes have had another tough game slip away late.

Next: Bowl Game

24. Oklahoma State 9-3

Oklahoma put the BCS at large bid talk to sleep for the Cowboys this week.

Next: Bowl Game

25. Stanford 8-4

The Cardinal put the nail in Weis’ coffin this week as they got a late victory over the Irish.

Next: Bowl Game

Here's a look at the Terrible 10:

The Terrible Ten: College Football's Biggest Disappointments (Nov 29)

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Baylor's Defense Has the Potential To be an Opponent's Nightmare

Jameson Fleming — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:20:32 -0500

ORLANDO-- It's been no secret that Baylor basketball has had its issues on the defensive end of the floor during Scott Drew's tenure.

Those struggles could be on their way out as Drew has a roster that looks radically different. A much improved Josh Lomers anchors the paint at a towering seven feet. His wingman are equally impressive as small forward Anthony Jones isn't so small. The sophomores is a skinny, but absurdly long 6'10''. Ekpe Udoh plays the four and five as another wirey 6'10'' big man.

That front line makes for a perfect fit for the 2-3 zone defense.

"We've been a man team for the last couple years, but we went zone at the end of last year and it did pretty well," Drew said. "We really have a team with a lot of length so we decided to start out the year with it. So far its been pretty good."

Pretty good is the key word here. The zone was impenetrable against Xavier in Sunday's fifth place game. Against Iona it was good, not great, but when Alabama opened its Old Spice Classic against Baylor, the Crimson Tide shred it pieces.

Each night Scott Drew has been a broken record trying to explain the defense's difficulties, but also its improvement, "We are the ninth youngest college basketball team with only four upperclassmen. So it's going to talk some time to reach your potential."

That improvement is very noticeable.

After Alabama ran up-and-down the court scoring at will, Baylor clamped down on Iona limiting second chance opportunities and dominating the paint with its ridiculous size.

But against the Gaels, the Bears still struggled to identify the shooters in the zone as Iona knocked down 12-of-28 three-point attempts. Baylor also several missed assignments that led to some confusion during the post-game press conference.

I asked Drew why he went to a 1-3-1 zone defense for about two possessions and Drew confusingly laughed.

"If we went to a 1-3-1 I didn't know about it. We must have had some missed assignments."

There was no 1-3-1/2-3 hybrid zone defense Sunday against Xavier. There were few missed assignments and Baylor's thin, but tall and long front line held up nicely against Xavier's monstrous, bulky front court.

For Baylor the personnel isn't the only difference.

"Love and dedication, said senior point guard Tweety Carter. "That's the difference. It's communicating. As leaders [He and Ekpe Udoh] of this team we preach defense in practice. It's what coach preaches every practice."

That love is clear with each smile and the demonstrative body language from Ekpe Udoh each time he blocked a shot.

The green and gold's success up front starts with a man known as the Nightmare.

Michigan transfer Ekpe Udoh is a menace around the basket. The lanky power forward/center is a dangerous shot blocker, but also an offensive force. Udoh's offensive game is quickly catching up to his defense.

In just three games in the Old Spice Classic, Udoh rejected 13 shots and grabbed 30 rebounds, including 11 offensive boards.

He can play the wing in the zone or anchor the middle when seven footer Josh Lomers isn't in the game.

His versatility on offense is just as valuable as his defense as Udoh is a long range threat who can handle the ball if needed to. He has the ability to pound the glass and finish his teammates' misses. His impact and the teams' improved defense allows Baylor to win even when star guard LaceDarius Dunn posts a 2-14 shooting day.

"It's a good thing for a coach when we win like that because it shows we don't need all our players to have their best games to win," Drew said.

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The Dallas Cowboys are Good, but Something Is Still Missing

John Frascella — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:10:46 -0500

...And that something is a someone .

His name is Terrell Owens.

This is where the die-hard, rah-rah traditionalists say, "What are you talking about? The guy is a selfish player, all about himself, and the Cowboys are in first place without him."

Yes, Dallas is 8-3 and atop the NFC East, but anyone—Cowboys fan or not—that believes that Owens' departure is the explanation for their success, is either lying to themselves or doesn't follow Dallas very closely.

While WR2 Miles Austin has enjoyed a refreshing breakout season, WR1 Roy Williams (who was supposed to "replace" Owens) has been a dud, and one of the favorite whipping boys for analysts around the league. Williams makes ill-advised comments just as Owens did, but he doesn't have the statistical production to back it up. Let's go to the numbers to date:

Williams: 26 rec, 444 yards, 4 TD

Owens: 40 rec, 659 yards, 3 TD

All right, so Roy has one more TD than T.O., but T.O. has 14 more receptions and a 215-yard advantage. And here's the kicker: this is one of the worst, if not the worst season of Owens' Hall of Fame career.

In addition, Bills fans have rightfully blamed Dick Jauron and QB Trent Edwards for Owens' numerical decline, as a new head coach and quarterback have immediately returned No. 81 to form.

T.O.'s last two games with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick at the helm: 9 rec 197 yards 1 TD, and 5 rec 96 yards 1 TD. Edwards was horrific as the starter this season, struggling with a lack of arm strength and a stubbornness in regards to Owens.

When you have a receiver of that caliber at your disposal, it's OK to rely on them. If he can single-handedly win games for you, there shouldn't be an intense desire to spread the ball around to multiple targets.

Fitzpatrick, a Harvard man, understands that.

That doesn't mean that all other receivers should be ignored, only that Owens should be leaned upon and force fed if necessary.

So Owens has outproduced Roy Williams despite having to deal with Edwards' ineptitude for too long, and the fact that QB Tony Romo is about fifty times better than both of Buffalo's quarterbacks. Owens may have been an off-the-field distraction in Dallas, but on the field, he and Romo had excellent chemistry. Both put up exceptional numbers during their era as teammates.

As for the current Cowboys, sure they are 8-3, but they are lacking in offensive explosiveness. RBs Marion Barber and Felix Jones have struggled with injuries at different times during the year, TE Jason Witten has been less productive, and WR3 Patrick Crayton is here today, gone tomorrow.

For me to consider this team a serious Super Bowl contender, they would need a WR1 like, oh...Terrell Owens. I like Jerry Jones, but something tells me that this major offseason decision is going to bite him in the behind.

I've been very impressed by Wade Phillips' defensive unit in '09, but a strong defense and average offense isn't going to cut it this year. Not with the Colts, Saints, Vikings, and Patriots around.

I expect the Cowboys to reach the postseason with relative ease, but don't expect them to get very far.

Not without a receiver like No. 81.

(John Frascella is the author of "Theo-logy: How a Boy Wonder Led the Red Sox to the Promised Land," the first and only book centered on Boston's popular GM Theo Epstein. Follow John on Twitter @RedSoxAuthor.)

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Big 12 Powers That Be Will Serve Up 13-0 Longhorns to BCS Title Game

A P — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 16:25:31 -0500

Take the title for what it is worth.

Honestly, I don't know why we are bothering to play the Big 12 title game next Saturday night.

The outcome is a foregone conclusion, regardless of what sort of chance Nebraska may or may not actually have on the playing field when they face the Longhorns.

What makes me say this?

Reference an earlier article of mine, "Big 12 Office: Offensive linemen holding is ignored by Big 12 referees."

The University of Texas with its big money, deep pocket donors runs and owns the Big 12 conference and when they don't get their way or something doesn't work out, like the 2008 BCS title game, they whine like a small child.

This is the sort of spoiled child behavior that we can trace all the way back to before the inception of the Big 12 conference.

When it came to policy making, establishing rules and guidelines for the conference, if the University of Texas didn't get their way on every vote, they threatened to take their ball (all the TV viewers and dollars) and leave.

Remind me. What team needed a conference to join and who are they to dictate or make demands?

Tom Osborne was right about these people.

So, how does this relate to the outcome of the Big 12 title game?

Back to last year.

Remember how upset and angry the University of Texas and its fans were over missing the BCS title game in 2008?

Well, the Big 12 office will be all too happy to acquiesce to the Longhorns and serve up an undefeated Big 12 team to the BCS title game.

And it's not just about getting Texas back to the BCS Title game. This is about the Big 12 wanting to keep the conferences highest profile university with the golden boy quarterback in the national spotlight.

It's about keeping the University of Texas in the national championship picture and Colt McCoy in the Heisman race.

It's about the money that goes into the Big 12 coffers and the prestige of having its most high-profile team competing for the national championship.

How can the Big 12 office get this accomplished within the normal constraints of a supposedly fair football game?

Well, back to my earlier article.

You think the holding that you have witnessed Big 12 referees ignore for many years in offensive lines like Texas is something?

You haven't seen nothing yet.

With the University of Texas having a shot at the BCS title game being led by a quarterback in the midst of a tight Heisman Trophy race.

Just watch.

The Texas offensive line will be able to wrangle, strangle, and go WWE on the Nebraska defensive line all night long without penalty.

Oh, and if a Nebraska defender does happen to make contact with Golden Boy, out will come a personal foul flag.

Golden Boy McCoy and his Heisman race will be protected by the Big 12 office and its team of officials. They won't let a big, bad Cornhusker defensive line get in the way of McCoy, his Heisman, or the University of Texas getting to the BCS Title game.

What was a one step rule after the quarterback throws the ball, will suddenly be enforced to the degree that the Nebraska defense can hardly touch McCoy without drawing a personal foul flag for roughing the passer.

Those type of penalties are so big because they extend drives with 15 yards and a first down. They are usually back breakers. There will be a time or two, or more, when McCoy is hit in what looks like a legal manner or barely touched, and out will come a flag.

I have seen it numerous times this year and Nebraska wasn't playing an undefeated team and Heisman candidate quarterback.

It will happen. Count on it, and don't count on a Nebraska victory.

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Role Reversal: Oklahoma Sooners Play Spoiler In Bedlam

J. Robert Byrom — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 16:14:09 -0500

It was almost 2001 all over again, where a late season loss to the OSU Cowboys sent the Sooners to the Cotton Bowl, costing them and the conference millions in BCS bowl money.

In this year's version of bedlam, the twist is it was the Sooners playing the spoiler role to the Cowboys’ BCS dreams.

It would of been huge for the Cowboys, sending them to their first BCS bowl, and proving at least one Pickins’ plan is alive and well.

However, a shutout by a sub-par OU and a blowout by Texas shows that OSU has a long way to go before they are able to compete with the big boys in the Big 12 South.

That fact bodes poorly for the Cowboys, who lose a lot of talent on both sides of the ball after the season.

The long-term future looks good, Gundy has proven to be a good coach, Bill Young is apparently happy and staying for the long haul and a top-10 recruiting class will be arriving in Stillwater this spring.

But short term with losing an immense amount of talent and being so far behind the top dogs head-to-head this year, the next two years may really tell us what kind of program OSU has currently.

For the Sooners, after a dominant shutout against a top-15 team and a close loss to an undefeated Texas team, they find themselves wondering what could of been, outside of Lubbock, which has been a house of horrors for the Sooners this decade.

The Sooners came oh-so close in oh-so many games.

At times this year, they looked like the championship caliber defense promised in the preseason while at others, they looked like John Blake never left town.

People have bagged on Stoops this year for five losses but really with their extremee rash of injuries, he deserves an award much more than a pink slip.

Take Texas for example, as good as they are, if they would have lost McCoy (their Bradford), in game one, Shipley (Gresham) and Houston (Granger) before the season started, then during the season lost Sergio Kindle (English) and their secondary tight end and X-factor Dan Buckner (Eldridge), and on top of all that missed one or two lineman every single week due to injury.

Not only does the Stoops not deserve to be fired he deserves a raise.

No one would expect Texas to be competitive with that many personnel losses but the Sooners were in every game except for one.
You can play the injury game with Florida, Alabama, TCU, and really any team. Take five players off their roster, their two best for sure and then three more off their top-10 and two more that have to sit out a few games and see if you think their roster could still win tough games on the road.

The fact that I feel the need to defend Stoops shows that the monster analogy of Barry Switzer rings true. Oklahoma football is a monster and it is always hungry and never satisfied and nothing but winning suppresses it. It does not care why you cannot win and will accept no excuses.

Barry himself had said repeatedly that the monster is in good hands.

If the state that once deemed itself Switzerland, will not believe Barry then they wont believe anyone. Be careful what you wish for, every program is just one bad hire away from obscurity.

Link to http://soonersnews.com , if you copy this article to another site.

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Bedlam Brutality: Salty Sooners Snuff Out Cowboys' Offensive Attack

Allen Kenney — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:19:28 -0500

On ESPN GameDay Saturday morning, the dreamiest analyst in college football, Kirk Herbstreit, humiliated one of the sport's proudest programs.

Herbie cut up a nice little lowlight package of plays from Oklahoma Sooners' humbling loss last week to Texas Tech. He caught Sooner defenders loafing in spots and flat-out quitting on a number of plays late in the 41-13 blowout loss to the Red Raiders.

Right about now, the Oklahoma State Cowboys are probably wondering where that group went.

To say OSU's offense "struggled" in its 27-0 loss to OU would be like saying OSU booster T. Boone Pickens' investment in the Cowboys' football program is "underperforming." A smattering of the Pokes' putrid offensive statistics :

six total first downs, all of which came in the first half and three of which came on OU penalties;
14 punts after going 0-14 on third-down conversion opportunities;
averages of two yards per passing attempt and 4.7 yards per completion;
an average of 2.1 yards per rushing attempt.

It was like watching a replay of the Texas Tech game in reverse. While the Cowboys couldn't get anything going offensively, the Sooner offense took off after halftime.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Landry Jones settled down after a shaky first half, and OU running backs DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown gashed a clearly gassed OSU defense that got little chance to rest as their teammates on the other side of the ball faltered.

Unlike the Tech game, it was the kind of dominating defensive performance that OU fans had grown accustomed to in an otherwise disappointing season.

For more of Allen Kenney's analysis of college football and the Oklahoma Sooners, check out Blatant Homerism.

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SEC Secures Spot in BCS Title Game: Will Texas Be Next?

Pete Misthaufen — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 05:49:12 -0500

With Alabama and Florida finishing the regular season undefeated, the SEC now has eliminated any possibility of the SEC not having a team in the BCS title game. Now, it only remains to determine which team the SEC will face in its quest for a fourth consecutive BCS title.

With six undefeated teams, it would appear that the BCS was headed to the so-called "Doomsday scenario", that some pundits believe would lead to the implementation of a playoff.

While having four or more undefeated teams would seem at first glance as a problem for the BCS, the real problem is having an outsider make the BCS title game.

And by outsider, I mean Cincinnati as much as TCU. Have no doubt, even with its auto-bid status, the Big East does not have the required status, nor does the ACC outside of Miami, Virginia Tech, and Florida State.

Currently, unless Nebraska can find a way to win the Big 12 championship game versus Texas, the powers-that-be of the BCS will take comfort that they avoided what they view as a true disaster.

As a supporter of system shock , I can only hope for this type of doomsday soon. So, unless the Cornhuskers win, the BCS will avoid their worst nightmare. Having Boise State, TCU, and Cincy on the outside looking in will actually make them all content and happy.

Now, TCU and Texas have been very close together in the BCS computers for several weeks. There is a small chance that TCU could get a boost in the computers and human polls for the final BCS standings if Cincy loses (combined with the SEC championship game).

In such a situation, TCU most likely would be a strong No. 3 in the human polls, behind Texas, but with just enough computer help to move ahead by a small fraction. However, this is very unlikely and TCU needs a Texas loss.

One other possibility is a Texas loss and a very close battle in Atlanta. In such a situation, there is also a remote possibility of a Florida-Alabama rematch, but that would create such a stir and a turmoil that it is extremely unlikely.

Even with a Texas loss, TCU would likely need an assist from Pitt just to eliminate the Bearcat threat.

So, BCS tyrants, you are most likely going to get your way. But be prepared to deal with another difficult year in Washington, D.C., as the politicians badger Mr. Hancock and Mr. Perlman yet again.

And no, Ari the P.R. mouthpiece is not going to help resolve this situation. Not unless he can convince the BCS boneheads to finally bring in a playoff.

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Sooners-Cowboys: Oklahoma Blasts State's BCS Hopes

Sooners Examiner — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 21:34:15 -0500

It seemed terrible—even impossible—that the Sooners' common troubles might split them apart instead of drawing them together.

Not this week. Not this Bedlam Series game.

With a defense that made Oklahoma State's offense look like it was being herded together at the point of a shotgun, the Sooners blasted the Cowboys 27-0 Saturday.

On the verge of a coveted BCS bowl berth, it was as if OSU discovered that all it really wanted was something to want. They were forced into 14 punts in 15 possessions, with the other possession ended by OSU throwing an interception.

The Cowboys, in perhaps the most important game in school history, went down with a whimper.

The Sooners, meanwhile, shone in the afternoon sun. They glittered. They dazzled. What a relief, to themselves and to their fans, who no doubt watched, almost silent at first in strained expectancy, to see which Oklahoma team would hit the field.

This Sooner squad proved resplendent, scattering a shower of sparks to the blushing admiration of Sooner Nation.

In final analysis, this Bedlam Series game marked the drastic difference between the two head coaches. The teams played accordingly.

Mike Gundy strives to appear grown-up and reasonable. Yet he is only two years removed from his adolescent and sexist "I'm a man" diatribe. His team played like boys who knew they didn't belong.

Bob Stoops, on the other hand, hears the voice of his own conscience. He leads his team with embarrassed pride and a bottomless fund of trust hard earned from his players. On this Senior Day, his team played like young men with something to prove.

It proved to be a Bedlam Series beat down.

For more info:

Slideshow of Bedlam game in AP photos

Will Bedlam find OSU the better team?

Notre Dame shopping for Stoops this Black Friday

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Kidd and Beaubois: Mavericks' Defensive Dynamic Duo

Alex McVeigh — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:00:02 -0500

The Dallas Mavericks are making a strong defensive stance this season. Previously, they lived and died by their jump shot—when it was cold, they lost; when it was falling, they won.

Instead, when the Mavericks shoot poorly, they still manage to keep it close. When their shot is falling, they're damn near unstoppable.

That being said, they still have some defensive weaknesses, namely defending quick, smaller point guards. Chris Paul and Tony Parker routinely shred the Mavericks in the playoffs.

As recently as four days ago, we saw a small-guard duo of Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis decimate the Mavericks particularly in the closing period, where the Warriors outscored the Mavericks over the closing stretch by almost 20 points despite the Warriors only playing six players.

Now, its understandable that the Mavericks are going lose games that they should win. Hopefully, it only happens three or four times per season.

But the closing stretch of the Warriors game showed us that, as much as J.J. Barea is a great layer off the bench, he's a weak point defensively. In fact, teams are going to attack him over and over if he is in there at crunch time.

The Mavercks were up nine points with seven minutes to go, and then the Warriors decided to start attacking Barea. The rest, as they say, is history.

I wrote a previous article about how the fearsome foursome of Barea, Jason Kidd, Rodrigue Beaubois and Terry is helping the Mavs get things done. But now I'm going to whittle that down to Beaubois and Kidd, who really help the Mavs get things done on the defensive end.

We all know Kidd's legs have slowed down a step, but his hands are still pretty quick as evidenced by his average of almost two steals per game over his career and 1.67 steals per game this year.

Kidd also has a great body for defense for a guard, his 6'4, 210 pound frame—the same one that helped him become one of the best rebounding point guards of all time—is great for fighting around picks, as well as giving a driving defender a little bit of a bump.

He just lacks the footspeed to keep up with people like Paul and Parker.

Enter Beaubois. About 6-1, but with an amazing 6-10 wingspan and an unbelievable 40 inch vertical leap, he has the physical tools to provide exactly the kind of defense that Kidd suffers from.

Beaubois was the difference on Brandon Jennings in the OT win a few weeks ago, when Brandon Jennings dropped 13 on the Mavs in the fourth quarter.

Beaubois started the OT period and held Jennings to a pair of free throws, guarding him on two missed three-pointers, including one where he made a physics-defying block to set up Dirk's game winner.

Beaubois' combination of wingspan and footspeed help him keep up with those guards, and he can always get a hand in the face, if not a hand on the ball.

While Kidd is weak directly defending the ball, he's a great help defender. There's no reason that a competent defender couldn't force people into Kidd's waiting hands/arms to go for a steal.

Which is why the Golden State Warriors game was such a tragedy, because Beaubois could have more than likely stopped the bleeding as Curry ripped the Mavs apart in the closing minutes.

I understand if the Mavs prefer to close out the game with Terry at the two, because they need some late game offense to take the scoring load off Dirk. But the Warriors are one of the only teams the Mavs could get away with playing Kidd, Beaubois and Terry, because of their lack of size.

I mean, the Warriors played Mikki Moore the whole night as their center!

It's a tough way to learn a lesson because come the end of the season, the Mavericks will need every mark in the win column they can get.

Hopefully Carlisle can learn once and for all that unless it's garbage time, JJ Barea does not need to be in there, and the Mavs can get some late game defense from the duo of Kidd and Beaubois.

For more of my articles about the Dallas Mavericks, and the other teams in the NBA Southwest division, check me out at Fan Huddle .

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Oklahoma Sooners' Balance Among Keys To Bedlam Game

Allen Kenney — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 20:09:23 -0500

Date : Nov. 28
Time : 12:30 p.m. EST
Venue : Gaylord Family Memorial Stadium (Norman, Okla.)
Vegas Line : OU -8.5

It's Thanksgiving weekend, and that means Bedlam in Oklahoma. As usual, one team enters the game with dreams of BCS bowling, while the other hopes to spoil that party before it even starts.

This year, though, Oklahoma State has its eyes on an at-large BCS prize. The best perennial BCS participant Oklahoma can do? A Sun Bowl bid on New Year's Eve in El Paso.

Even though the two programs have traded places, most in Green Country–and Vegas–still don't appear to be buying OSU's chances to pull one out in Norman.

Current LSU head coach Les Miles made his name at Oklahoma State by upsetting the Sooners a couple times. Under Mike Gundy , the Cowboys have yet to get over that hump.

Whether or not OU coach Bob Stoops continues his string of dominance over Gundy will depend on:

1. OSU's Play-Calling If Zac Robinson Plays

Last week, OSU coach Mike Gundy pronounced senior quarterback Zac Robinson ready to go prior to the Pokes' game against Colorado. Robinson never left the sidelines.

Yet again, Gundy says he expects his signal caller to play. Is the OSU coach telling tales?

Assuming Robinson does play, one team that understands the difficulties that shoulder injuries can cause quarterbacks is Oklahoma. How Robinson holds up against the physical play of the Oklahoma defense is vital to OSU's success.

If Gundy sticks with some of the zone read and quarterback iso plays that he's so fond of, Robinson might not make it to the second half. On the other hand, taking the quarterback run-option plays out of the Cowboys' arsenal removes a key threat from their offensive scheme.

Unfortunately for the Pokes, it's somewhat of a lose-lose proposition.

2. Brandon Weeden 's Ability to Handle the Atmosphere

I'm guessing that OSU backup quarterback Weeden could be pressed into service at some point. Weeden played the hero last week against Colorado, but how will the second-string gunslinger fare in his first real action on the road?

Other venues probably have it beat in terms of atmosphere or history, but Owen Field may be the best home-field advantage in the country. The Sooners have a 29-game winning streak there and have lost just two home games in OU coach Bob Stoops' 11 seasons in Norman.

Even though Weeden is a 26-year-old sophomore, that's not the kind of place to throw a newbie into the fire.

Which brings us to...

3. OU's Crowd

This year, the Sooners are playing the unfamiliar role of spoiler to OSU's BCS dreams. The fact that OU is playing for nothing but pride obviously raises the question of where the Sooners' heads are at.

Likewise, what will the mood be like among the Sooner faithful? Will the fans be fired up for Bedlam?

Given the general disappointment surrounding this season, how many OU ticket holders are pawning off their seats to Pokes?

4. Oklahoma's Run-Pass Balance

The secret to OU's success in its six straight wins against the Cowboys isn't that hard to figure out: The Sooners have whipped the Pokes' physically running the ball.

Since 2004, the Sooners have run for an average of no less than 4.9 yards per carry in Bedlam games. When a team can line up against an opponent and run for five yards any time it wants–five years in a row–it's pretty easy to see who's winning the man-to-man battle.

Just watching them play, the 2009 version of the Sooner offense clearly hasn't matched its recent predecessors in the physical department.

The numbers in the run game tell a similar story, with OU generating just 3.87 yards per carry this year, ranking 75th nationally. In losses to Texas, Nebraska and Texas Tech, OU has run for well under three yards per attempt.

First-year defensive coordinator Bill Young has significantly improved OSU's run defense, allowing 2.86 yards per rush (ninth overall). If the Cowboys can stuff OU's running game–particularly on first down–it will put the burden on quarterback Landry Jones to win the game for the Sooners.

Expect OSU to stack the box when possible, and keep an eye on OU's ratio of pass attempts to runs. That goes double for the second quarter, after OU offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson has had a couple possessions to try to figure out what Young is up to.

5. How Wilson Uses DeMarco Murray

Earlier this year, I proclaimed that OU running back DeMarco Murray looked "like the man of old." Man, was I wrong.

Through the 10 games in which he has played, Murray has run for 581 yards, a far cry from his total of 1,002 in 12 games in 2008. The fourth-year junior is averaging 4.4 yards per carry, down 1.2 yards from last year.

However, Murray's role in OU's passing game likely has cannibalized some of that ground production. As the Sooners have struggled all season to find reliable wide receivers, Wilson has had Murray lined up wide and in the slot with increasing frequency this year. In his 37 receptions in 2009, Murray is averaging 13.1 yards per catch.

If Young brings his safeties in tight and stacks the line to stop the run on early downs, look for Wilson to move Murray out of the backfield. Jones will try to hit Murray on the run and on bubble screens, giving the speedster a chance to make plays in space.

For more of Allen Kenney's analysis of college football and the Oklahoma Sooners, check out Blatant Homerism .

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Baylor—Texas Tech: Red Raiders Look to Improve Bowl Bid

John Baucum — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 19:34:58 -0500

Introduction:

Baylor and Texas Tech have both faced quite a bit of adversity this season. Unfortunately for Baylor, losing star QB Robert Griffin III proved to be much more damaging than the injuries to Taylor Potts and Steven Sheffield have for Texas Tech.

The dynamic Baylor QB was such a key cog that his loss dashed Baylor’s high hopes for this season. Texas Tech is wrangling for bowl position and could solidify its position for an upper echelon bowl game with a victory tomorrow in Dallas.

Baylor Passing:

Nick Florence leads Baylor’s offensive attack. He is 165 —266 (62%) for 1,786 yards with six TDs and nine INTs. Backup Blake Szymanski is 33 —54 for (61%) with one TD and four INTs.

Although these stats don’t exactly leap off the page, Baylor’s offense will remind Tech fans of Houston’s in the sense that the Bears don’t rely on the pass quite so much. They strive to be balanced between pass and run while also incorporating one of Leach’s basic tenets of spreading the ball to all its playmakers.

Baylor Rushing:

Jay Finley leads Baylor’s rushing attack with 61 carries for 315 yards (5.2 YPC) and one score. Next is Terrence Gannaway with 65 runs for 191 (3 YPC) and five scores. QB Nick Florence adds three rushing scores, Jared Salubi and Robert Griffin each have two scores, while Jared Monk and Kendall Wright have one each.

In fact, of all the different athletes who’ve carried the football for the Bears this season, only three have failed to score a touchdown. That’s pretty impressive given the number of players with rushing attempts for the Bears this year

Baylor Receiving:

Baylor’s receiving stats aren’t great but the Bears have big—play ability. This is proven by the fact that they have seven players who average more than 10 yards per catch. Kendall Wright leads the group with 60 catches for 690 yards (11.5 YPC) with four TDs. David Gettis is next with 49 catches for 606 yards (12 YPC) and three scores.

Lanear Sampson has 25 grabs for 269 yards (10.8 YPC) with 2 scores. Justin Akers, Brad Taylor, Willie Jefferson, and Andrew Judy have one score each to close Baylor’s scoring through the air.

Texas Tech Passing:

Taylor Potts’ performance of the season could not have come at a better time than last Saturday afternoon. Potts excellent decision making and distribution played a key role in Tech’s 41 —13 humbling of the Oklahoma Sooners.

Prior to that game, Oklahoma was ranked in the top 10 nationally in many defensive categories and was coming off a 65 point win over Texas A&M. Anyone claiming OU isn’t a salty team clearly does not follow college football.

The challenge for Taylor Potts will be the same as it has been all season: consistency. If the strong armed junior can once again lead his troops with a near —flawless performance, coach Art Briles and his Baylor squad could be in for a long day. However, that remains to be seen. On the season Potts has completed 249 —378 passes (66%) for 2,799 yards with 18 TDs and 11 INTs. Backup Steven Sheffield has completed 92 —125 passes (74%) for 13 TDs and four INTs.

Texas Tech Rushing:

Baron Batch paces the Texas Tech rushing attack with 128 attempts for 715 yards (5.6 YPC) with 12 TDs. Redshirt freshman Harrison Jeffers is next with 33 rushes for 216 yards (6.5 YPC) and four scores. True freshman Eric Stephens is next with 40 rushes for 186 (4.7 YPC) with two scores.

Additionally, Stephens is only a few yards from setting a Texas Tech single—season record for kickoff return yards at 614 for the year. Both of these freshmen have bright futures ahead of them. Taylor Potts and Steven Sheffield each have two rushing scores to finish the Red Raiders’ rushing TDs.

Texas Tech Receiving:

Freshman Alexander Torres paces Tech’s receivers with 58 grabs for 728 yards (12.6 YPC) and six scores. Detron Lewis is next with 54 receptions for 719 yards (13.3 YPC) with five scores. RB Batch has 49 catches for 308 yards (6.3 YPC) and one score. Tramain Swindall adds 44 catches for 629 yards (14.3 YPC) and five scores. Lyle Leong, Taylor Potts’ high school teammate is next with 36 catches for 455 yards (12.6 YPC) and six TDs.

Speedster Edward Britton adds 30 grabs for 361 yards (12 YPC) and three scores. Austin Zouzalik has 25 receptions for 302 yards (12 YPC) and two scores. RB Jeffers, Jacoby Franks, Adam James, RB Stephens, and Brik Brinker each have one score.

Noteworthy:

This is Texas Tech’s oldest rivalry. The Red Raiders hold a slight series advantage with a 34 — 32 —1 all —time record

Saturday’s game at Cowboys Stadium will be the first neutral field meeting between the two schools.

Baylor head coach Art Briles was the running backs coach on Mike Leach’s first staff at Texas Tech. Briles also has a degree from Texas Tech despite playing college football at Houston.

Mike Leach’s victory last week makes him Tech’s all —time leader in wins, surpassing legendary Texas Tech coach Spike Dykes.

Texas Tech’s 36 sacks on the season is second nationally to Pittsburgh, which has 41.

What will Happen:

Briles has a deep understanding of Texas Tech’s offense as well as some weapons of his own. Given this, I expect the Bears to remain fairly close with Texas Tech for much of the game. Look for the Red Raiders depth and overall talent disparity to take over late in the first half or early in the second half.

Prediction:

Baylor —20

Texas Tech —45

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Oklahoma State-Oklahoma: A Chance for a Statement?

Curtis Finchum — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:20:19 -0500

This is the game every Cowboy and Sooner has been waiting for. It's a game that determines which team stands supreme in the state of Oklahoma.

This will be senior night in Norman, where under head coach Bob Stoops, the Sooners are 62-2. One of those loses however, came in this very rival, back in 2001 thanks to Oklahoma States' very own Rashaun Woods and Josh Fields.

This is a new era in Oklahoma State football however. The Cowboys are 9-2 and 6-1 in Big XII play. They are in control of second place in the Big XII South.

Cowboy head coach Mike Gundy has brought forth a new found competitiveness to Oklahoma State football, one of which Cowboy nation hopes will continue.

Gundy will settle for nothing less than winning. The electric coach has brought in players and athletes who share his incredible enthusiasm and his will to win.

The Cowboys last performance on the field came against Colorado on Thursday night in front of a national audience. Though they had to rally to come back and win, the Cowboys were missing the most influential player to their explosive offense.

Senior quarterback Zac Robinson did not play. Instead, he sat out to insure that he was healthy going into what could be one of the most important games in his collegiate career.

Robinson will now get the chance to lead the most influential class in Oklahoma States' football history into Norman. This could potentially be a statement game for the Cowboys.

A win on Saturday morning could send Oklahoma State to a BCS Bowl game, quite possibly the Fiesta Bowl and more importantly a shot at something that has never happened at OSU.

Robinson has the shot to make history. A shot at an eleven win season.

This is Gundy's last shot with this group of young men to do something that he has yet to do in his coaching career—beat the Oklahoma Sooners.

It's also a chance for him and his team to announce to the country that they are in fact ready to compete with the big boys in both the Big XII and throughout the country.

Though the Sooners are having a down year, they are still a recruiting powerhouse, something that the Cowboys wish to become. And with a win on Saturday, they take a step in the right direction.

Cowboy nation will flood into Norman, in what could end up being the game of the season for both teams.

Saturday morning will determine whether the state will bleed maroon for yet another season, or if orange will flood through the streets of Oklahoma.

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The Answer Is On The Runway? A.I. Could Learn From Jet Terry

Robert Kleeman — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:03:50 -0500

To the surprise of few, Allen Iverson announced his retirement Wednesday weeks after the Memphis Grizzlies agreed to release him from his one-year contract.

For fans of the courageous slashing combo guard, the decision marked the bitter end of a media-driven smear campaign. His ardent supporters would not allow themselves to blame Iverson for his petulant behavior.

Instead, they chastised anyone who dared to question his loyalty, will to win or ego.

A player with such talent has the right to behave in any manner he wants. Damn you if you disagree.

To those not blinded by the unfulfilled potential of his awesome basketball faculties, a retirement after 14 years represents a legacy destroyed.

Iverson could play several more productive years, but no one wanted to sign him under his rigid conditions.

The desperate Memphis Grizzlies signed him in September as a last resort sales ploy. The acquisition did boost ticket sales for a few days, but the boneheaded decision to sic him on O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay could ruin the rest of the year for the franchise.

The prospect of decline and a reserve role prompted one of the NBA's leading men to bow out before the final act of the play.

The immovable force, well, moved in the wrong direction.

He should still be playing, but instead he decided ego preservation was more important than winning.

Michael Curry and Lionel Hollins never asked Iverson to come off the bench because they thought Rodney Stuckey, O.J. Mayo and Mike Conley Jr. were superior players.

The best player at a given position on a team doesn't always start. Future Hall of Famer Manu Ginobili and explosive scorer—J.R. Smith can attest to that.

Ginobili won a championship as the ultimate super sub in 2007. Lamar Odom produced off the pine for much of the L.A. Lakers latest championship run.

Dallas Mavericks guard Jason Terry, however, provides the best parallel.

Perceptions about Terry have changed since his embrace of a second-unit starring role.

He scored 35 points in a pivotal NBA Finals game as a starter. Then, observers wondered if he was just accumulating stats for a fat contract extension.

His deal conveniently expired after that Finals run.

The next year, after winning the sixth most regular season games in league history, the Mavericks flamed out in the first round to the eighth seeded Warriors.

Terry's play in the parts of the series could be compared to vomit.

Then, Avery Johnson decided that his team's second unit needed more firepower. He made Terry a full-time reserve, and the results were smashing.

Rick Carlisle concurred with Johnson about Terry's reserve value.

After dealing with Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard in the starting five, opponents would have to handle a lethal scorer with limitless range and veins with freezer burn.

His impact did not lessen because the PA announcer no longer called his name during the starting introductions.

His role, in fact, augmented.

Terry can establish his presence as much after six minutes as he can from the opening tip.

If Iverson followed Terry's lead, he would still be playing. And winning.

His 18 ppg average looks similar to his numbers as a starter.

What Terry realized that Iverson should have: a reserve role means free reign in the offense.

It means more shots and sometimes more points. Ginobili's highest season average came in a reserve role.

Ditto for Smith.

I get the differences between the two players, dear Iverson fanatics.

Terry has never carried a team on his back for a full season.

He was not a number one pick.

Terry is not headed to Springfield.

His career scoring totals cannot measure up to Iverson's.

Still, Terry has been to the same number of championship series, and he boasts one more Finals win than Iverson.

You can collate that.

It was difficult to watch the Jet demolish the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on Wednesday and not think of how Iverson could wreak similar havoc.

Terry was the best player on the floor, and he single handedlyerased a 12-point deficit with his dead-eye shooting.

If you squinted for a moment, you might have seen Kobe Bryant. He was that deadly.

After allowing an 11-2 lead, the Mavericks thumped the Rockets 130-99.

Would Dallas have won so handily with Terry on the floor in the opening minutes?

Imagine Iverson as a Celtics reserve. A limited role behind Rajon Rondo would mask his dangerous gambles on defense and his aversion to practice.

He could dominate the ball, and thus, dominate other second units. With Eddie House and Rasheed Wallace at his side, would anybody stop the Boston bench?

Instead of retirement, Iverson would be running toward the championship that would complete his career.

Perceptions would change. If they did for Terry, why wouldn't they for Iverson?

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Cowboys Crush Raiders 24-7, Face Tough December

Derek Major — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:49:38 -0500

The Cowboys know that December is going to be a tough month and with a game against the lowly Raiders the Cowboys didn't play with their Thanksgiving food as they dominated the game start to finish.

The Cowboys' offense was as perfect as a Thanksgiving turkey. Tony Romo went 18-for-29 for 308 yards and two TDs. Receiver Miles Austin and Tight End Jason Witten benefited from Romo's good day as they had plenty of balls to catch.

Jason Witten had five catches for 107 yards, his longest catch coming in the third quarter when Romo avoided a sack and hit Witten for a 44-yard catch and run that led to a Roy Williams TD. Witten was questionable on Monday but his sore foot improved during the week and he showed no signs of the injury during the game.

Miles Austin had been held in check the last two games but busted out on Turkey Day with seven catches for 145 yards and one TD. Austin beat pro bowl safety Nnamdi Asomugha a few times and was able to score on a screen pass after his TD two plays before was overturned after a official challenge.

The running game for the Cowboys was great. Smash, Dash and Tash each had one run of over 30 yards and finished with 196 yards combined. Marion Barber had 61 yards on 14 carries and also added a 42-yard catch. Felix Jones finished with seven carries for 68 yards including a 46-yard TD run that gave the Cowboys a 10-0 lead. Tashard Choice ran mainly out of the Wildcat and finished with three carries for 67 yards including a 66-yard scamper that set up a Nick Folk Field goal to make it 3-0.

The Cowboys defense gave up less than 10 points for the second straight game. Bruce Gradkowski (18-for-35, 200 yards and one TD) was pressured throughout the game and sacked three times. Gradkowski connected with Darrius Heyward-Bey for the Raiders only TD in the third quarter.

Linebacker Anthony Spencer finally got his first two sacks of the season while the man he replaced Greg Ellis, sat on the Raiders bench with a swollen knee. DeMarcus Ware also had a sack and a forced fumble recovered by Jay Ratliff to end the first half.

The running game for the Raiders was successful early in the game, but as the game went on the Cowboys front seven took control. Justin Fargas finished with 63 yards on 12 carries; Darren McFadden had eight carries for 23 yards and added 43 yards receiving.

The Cowboys secondary shut down the Raiders receivers as tight end Zach Miller led the team with 73 yards on five catches. Heyward-Bey, Chad Schilens and Louis Murphy combined for just six catches and 75 yards.

The Cowboys now head into December where the Cowboys are 17-29 since 1999 and this December won't be an easy one. The Cowboys face the Giants on the road, and then face the Chargers at home before going on a two game road trip to New Orleans and Washington.

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Colt McCoy Says Goodbye Texas A&M Aggies; Hello Heisman

Gene Strother — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 09:05:54 -0500

The Texas A&M Aggies played their "national championship" (of the Republic of Texas) yesterday. They played well. They fought valiantly. They left everything they had on the field.

And...they lost.

The Texas Longhorns narrowly escaped their matchup with Texas A&M, 49-39. Some will hold that against them, since the Aggies are now a mere 6-6. Those who do so either do not understand the dynamics of such a rivalry, the hostility of that environment, or they didn't see the game.

Great teams find a way to win, even when an upset is in the air. Upset was in the air at Kyle Field last night. The air was thick with it. The crowd could taste it every time they kissed in celebration of another Aggie score.

There were plenty of Aggie scores for one primary reason: His name is Jerrod Johnson. The Aggie quarterback was simply brilliant. By halftime, Johnson had thrown for 199 yards and three touchdowns. He completed 13 of his 15 passes in the first half, too. He was improvising masterfully, throwing accurately, and making timely plays, time after time.

Trouble for Johnson was this: as good as he was, Colt McCoy was better. Colt matched Johnson blow for blow and then one-upped him with a masterful half-ending drive to send Texas to the locker room with a 28-21 lead.

BY game's end, Colt McCoy was 24 of 40 for 304 yards. He threw four touchdown passes. He also ran for 175 yards on 18 carries, including a game-breaking 65-yard TD scamper right through the heart of the A&M defense.

Said Mack Brown after the game, "If anybody has a better Heisman moment than that, I would like to see it."

Me too.

Colt was big time in prime time and he almost single-handedly willed a vulnerable, exhausted, shell-shocked Longhorns football team to victory.

Shine the hardware. Go ahead and engrave it, too.

That is C-o-l-t.

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A USC Trojan Fan's Perspective of the Texas Longhorns

Rick McMahan — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 07:52:44 -0500

As the title of this piece suggests, I am a fan of the USC Trojans. More specifically, I am a disappointed fan of the USC Trojans.

The 2009 college football season has been one of chagrin of both myself and my fellow fans of the Men of Troy.

Nonetheless, I remain, even in this time of abject angst over my Trojans, a fan of college football.

As such, I cozied up to my television, fat from too much holiday eats, and prepared to watch what I thought was the best college football team in the land, the Texas Longhorns.

Now, I am not so sure.

Yes, the Longhorns impressed me on offense.

My Heisman vote, if I were to have one, would be directly deposited into the account of Colt McCoy, who is a marvellous talent. Hell, I might even be convinced to cast my ballot for Jordan Shipley, McCoy's roommate and a fantastic wide receiver in his own right.

The Longhorn offense, in my opinion, is among the very best in the land.

However, there is more to a football team than just the offense. And what I saw last night of the Texas defense has given me cause to pause.

Texas A&M, an up-and-coming team with some nice young talent, but still only a .500 team, ran and passed through the Longhorn defense with impunity.

How does 532 total yards and 39 points sound?

To the Longhorns and their faithful fans, probably like an out of tune garage band.

For me, last night only served to reinforce what I already suspected: that this year, there is no completely dominant college football team.

Florida, Alabama, and now Texas have all displayed significant chinks in its armor.

I remain unconvinced as to the quality of teams such as Boise State and TCU.

In a season where traditional powerhouses such as my Trojans and Oklahoma have been mediocre at best, even those with unblemished records have significant warts.

Of course, there is still time for the Texas defense to right its ship.

In the Big 12 championship game, they should easily handle Nebraska.

And certainly they are in the drivers seat to meet either Florida or Alabama in the national championship game. In that game, they will have an opportunity to show the nation that they are indeed a championship team.

But they won't do it with the kind of defensive effort I witnessed last night.

And unless some team displays a complete team game that shows excellence on both sides of the ball, this season will continue, for me, to be what it already has been.

A disappointment.

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Texas Wins, but Have the Longhorns Shot Themselves in the Foot?

Alex Ferguson — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 07:03:11 -0500

Thursday night's Texas-Texas A&M game was a Texas-style shoot-out, complete with drama, fat women in the stands, and noise.

But, while Texas A&M will feel once again disheartened by losing to Texas, Texas will also be disheartened.

Make no mistake about it, folks, that sort of defensive performance can work against lousy Big XII teams—and there were a number UT has faced this season (we won't talk about the laughable non-conference schedule)—but, it won't wash against the Longhorns' likely Bowl opponents, Florida or Alabama.

The Longhorns couldn't stop the throw all night. Think Blake Gideon & Co are going to deal with Riley Cooper better than he did with the Aggies? Or think they'll cope against Julio Jones?

They weren't great against the run either. Early on, it looked as though the Aggies would get roasted on the line of scrimmage. The 'Horns were awesome. But, as is the case in college football, the game rolled on, and the D tired.

By the end of the game, Christine Michael (we only wish we were joking about his first name, but seriously—he's called Christine. Parents wanted a girl apparently), had 83 yards to his name, and the runs were getting bigger each time. They also had trouble stopping Aggies QB Jerrod Johnson. While Texas will have fun against Greg McElroy, think Tebow won't barge them out of the way?

On the good side: Colt McCoy was a star for the Longhorns, and he's playing the best 'ball of his career. Jordan Shipley will be a thorn in anyone's side for the last two games of his college career (he's not coming back for a seventh year is he? IS he?). Kickers against Texas will have to "pick their poison" against Jordan Shipley or Marquise Goodwin, who can both fly.

Look, we know it was a rivalry game.

But rivalry games probably come second to National Championships in terms of games everyone will talk about when careers are done and dusted. No-one wants to be known as the team who went unbeaten during the regular season and then got smacked about during the National Championship Game.

Here's a bit of "Midnight Yell" for y'all. Ignore the first 47 seconds of introduction...

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Texas Wins, but Might Give Florida or Alabama a Blueprint for Victory

Alex Ferguson — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 06:23:00 -0500

Make no mistake about it folks, Thursday night's Texas-Texas A&M game was a Texas-style shoot-out complete with drama, fat women in the stands, and noise.

But while Texas A&M will feel once again disheartened by losing to Texas, the Longhorns will be too.

Because while that sort of defensive performance can work against a Big XII team—including Big XII North opponent Nebraska a week from Saturday (are we being a little unfair?)—it won't wash against Florida or Alabama.

The Longhorns couldn't stop the throwing game all night. Do you think Blake Gideon & Co. are going to deal with Riley Cooper or Julio Jones better than they did with the Aggies?

Texas wasn't great against the run either. Early on, it looked as though the Aggies would get roasted on the line of scrimmage. The 'horns were awesome. But, as is often the case in college football, the game rolled on, and the "D" tired.

By the end of the game, Christine Michael—we only wish we were joking about his first name, but seriously, he's called Christine (parents wanted a girl apparently)—had 83 yards to his name, and the runs were getting bigger each time. They also had trouble stopping Aggies' QB Jerrod Johnson.

While Texas will have fun against Greg McElroy, do you think Tebow won't barge them out of the way?

On the good side...Colt McCoy was a star for the Longhorns, and he's playing the best ball of his career...Jordan Shipley will be a thorn in anyone's side for the last two games of his college career (he's not coming back for a seventh year is he? Is he?)...kickers against Texas will have to "pick their poison" on kickoffs against Jordan Shipley or Marquise Goodwin, who can both fly.

Look, we know it was a rivalry game. But rivalry games probably come second to national championships in terms of games everyone will talk about when careers are done and dusted.

No one wants to be known as part of the team that went unbeaten during the regular season, but then got smacked about during the National Championship Game.

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Texas Should Fall behind TCU in the Polls after Almost Losing to 6-6 Texas A&M

Tyler Stimson — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 23:55:47 -0500

All year long, I have heard how great the Texas defense is—how it is the best in the country, or at least on par with teams like Florida, Alabama, and TCU. That is clearly not the case.

Texas A&M was the only team that could stop the Aggies in Thursday's game vs. Texas. The "great" Texas defense provided little resistance, giving up 39 points. It only stopped Texas A&M when the Aggies stopped themselves with turnovers and a missed FG at the end.

Texas has struggled with two .500-caliber teams this year—Oklahoma and Texas A&M. The 'Horns are definitely not playing like the No. 3 team in the country. Their ranking is thanks to preseason polls and will, almost assuredly, not drop.

TCU, on the other hand, only struggled with a very good Air Force team—early in the year in awful weather conditions—and a top 15 Clemson team that will play for an ACC championship.

Texas needed a fumble, an interception, a missed tackle on a 3rd-and-12 play that led to a long TD, a kickoff return, and a missed FG to hold on to a narrow victory over a mediocre 6-6 Aggie team.

Texas is ranked ahead of TCU for three main reasons:

1. Big 12 vs. MWC

Really not too much of a difference. The Big 12 is a little deeper, but the MWC has a much better top three. Pretty much a wash.

2. Preseason Rankings (Texas No. 2, TCU No. 17)

It's a shame that preseason perceptions have such a dramatic effect on rankings later in the year.

3. Program Perception

TCU is a small private school with an undergraduate enrollment under 10,000.

Meanwhile, Texas is a perennial top-10 team, the flagship university of the state of Texas, has an undergraduate enrollment of over 50,000, recently won a national title (2006), and gets consistently better recruiting classes.

Let's look at the resumes of Texas and TCU this year without bias:

Team A

SOS: 48
Victories over top-25 teams: one
Won multiple national championships (in its history)
Averages 43 PPG on offense
Gives up 15 PPG on defense
Finished in the top 10 in the final poll last year

Team B

SOS: 32
Victories over top 25 teams: three
Won multiple national championships (in its history)
Averages 40 PPG on offense
Gives up 12 PPG on defense
Finished in the top 10 in the final poll last year
Only team in the Country in the top five in both total offense and defense

Which team has the better resume?

If you look at it unbiasedly, it's clearly Team B, albeit, by a small margin.

Team B is TCU.

Team A is Texas.

But because of the reasons I mentioned above—perceived conference strength, preseason ranking, and program perception—in the polls Texas will stay ahead of a team with a better resume.

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Random Thanksgiving NFL Game Notes

DMtShooter Five Tool Tool — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 23:29:00 -0500

I didn't have complete attention to the second and third games on the day, as I was hosting in-laws and wrangling kids, but here goes.

Cowboys RB Tashard Choice seems to have the 2008 Felix Jones role of looking good on limited carries.

This means that he'll get too much hype as a breakout candidate in 2010 and under-deliver, but honestly, if I managed the Cowboys, you'd see a lot less Marion Barber.

The Raiders actually looked like a football team for portions of this game today, but when your QB is Bruce Gradkowski and your WRs are a half dozen guys who won't be in the league in five years, you are not exactly working with a net.

I suppose even the greats are allowed to have off days, but has the Nnamdi Asomugha Era ended? Dallas WR Miles Austin had a monster day today, and it wasn't a case of Asomugha working on Roy Williams; many of the plays were in front of the man.

Considering how much Austin has been erased in the last few weeks against other top corners, you have to wonder if the Nnamdi Era is starting to end. And just when I had finally learned how to spell his name. I think.

I've been waiting all year for Giants RB Brandon Jacobs to show up and play well. I think we can stop waiting. If you want a power back to dance in the hole and lose yards, he's your man.

Broncos WR Brandon Marshall may be a diva, a bonehead, and a team cancer. He might also be the best in the game, at least when he's bringing the "A" game. He made a one-handed catch on a sideline fly pattern tonight that was sick, sick, sick.

The Broncos were at home, playing crisply, with good defense and special teams, against a Giants team that didn't seem interested.

And in the fourth, they were only up 10 points. You can keep your Game Manager QBs, folks...but at least QB Kyle Orton was able to hit a ridiculously wide open Brandon Stokely for the clinching TD.

I went 2-1 on picks today, and I'd like to apologize for the one. The Giants came into this game whining about the trip and schedule, and with a terrible red-zone defense and troublesome at best running game, I should have gotten over my Orton hate and gone with the home dogs.

From having watched this game tonight (I don't get NFLN, but being close enough to NY to be considered that market, I did get the game), I could not have been less impressed. It's possible that the Giants are worse then the Redskins, really.

A small but nice note for Eagle Fans: Brian Dawkins played great in this game, and so did Correll Buckhalter. I'm imagining that they were pretty up for this game. And will be when they come to Philadelphia in a few weeks.

Bronco RB Knowshon Moreno is the real deal, and TE Tony Scheffler has surprising quicks for a big white guy. Either that, or the Giants are just terrible. Very, very possible.

Finally, with the loss, the Giants fall to 6-5, which means that an Eagle win on Sunday gives them a game lead over them for the wild card, and a possible two-game lead over the next best record (Atlanta).

If you are thinking that the NFC is entirely about the top two seeds right now, you'd be absolutely right, but a lot can change in two months.

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Who You Will See In the NFL Playoffs! Early Edition

thomas moreland — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 20:36:54 -0500

You will see Tony Romo attempt to win a playof game this season. What fun! The Cowboys are 8-3 now and should challenge to at least clinch a wild card soon.

The Packers are at 7-4 and will challenge for a playoff spot, but may fall short. Let's check everyone else out, and see where the Packers may slip in.

The Cincinnati Bengals have a clear path to the AFC North division. The pesky Steelers may have to settle for a wild card path through the playoffs.

New Orleans is in, Minnesota is in, and New England is in.

Two NFC spots left and three AFC.

Arizona gets in winning that division, most likely.

Indianapolis is in.

San Diego wins that division.

The Steelers bang out a wild card, and in the NFC the last team that makes it is the...Giants.

The last AFC team to squeak in will be the Houston Texans.

Yes, Packer fans, you barely beat out Philly and Atlanta and you make the playoffs.

Next stop, the Purgatory of Brett Favre never leaving you alone.

Thomas[ NFL Mikee ]Moreland.

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Why the TCU Horned Frogs Deserve a Shot at the National Championship

College Football Fanatic — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 11:18:27 -0500

According to some "experts" out there, there should never be a non-BCS team in contention for the national championship. Apparently, these teams from non-BCS conferences such as the Mountain West, the Western Athletic Conference, and Conference USA are undeserving of any accolades presented to them.

Experts, I present to you the 2009 Texas Christian University Horned Frogs.

This team has defeated three current Top-25 teams and two BCS conference teams (30-14 over Virginia and 14-10 over No. 15 Clemson, both of the ACC) with wins over No. 15 Clemson and No. 18 BYU coming on the road, the BYU win coming by a score of 38-7, and a defeat of No. 22 Utah at home, 55-28.

The Horned Frogs don't make the same, ahem, "mistake" that Boise State makes, either. Some members of the media say that Boise State doesn't win convincingly enough. Since the 20-17 defeat of Air Force on Oct. 10, which made them 5-0, they've won their last six by a combined score of 278-54, or an average score of 46-9. By the way, that includes the two defeats of No. 18 BYU and No. 22 Utah.

After that Air Force game, TCU was crucified by a few people out there, as the Horned Frogs were "overrated" and "undeserving of a Top-10 spot." How do you think those people feel now?

The defense boasts one of the best defensive linemen in college football, Jerry Hughes, predicted by many to be a Top-20 pick in next year's NFL Draft. The defense as an entire unit is ranked fourth in the country in total yardage allowed per game (238.8 yards) and is sixth overall in points per game (12.6 points).

You can't sell the offense short, either. Led by stud junior quarterback Andy Dalton and fleet-footed running back Joseph Turner, the offense averages 39.7 points per game (fifth in the nation) and 471.2 yards per game (also fifth in the nation).

Plus, with every win 8-3 Clemson earns, that 14-10 victory back on Sept. 26 has become one of the banner victories for the Mountain West Conference in 2009, along with BYU's 14-13 defeat of then No. 3 Oklahoma.

If you want to use the transitive property of college football, think about this.

The Texas Longhorns, currently ranked No. 3, went on the road to Laramie and defeated the Wyoming Cowboys, 41-10, way back on Sept. 12.

No. 4 TCU defeated them 45-10 this past week.

In the polls I vote on, that was part of the reason why I put TCU No. 3 this week, ahead of Texas and behind the SEC Championship tandem of Florida and Alabama. The other part of why I did it? As a whole, TCU has by far been the more impressive team. Texas has defeated one team currently ranked in the Top 25 poll, which was a 41-7 victory over No. 11 Oklahoma State. They defeated Oklahoma, but the Sooners are 6-5.

TCU has defeated three ranked teams: No.15 Clemson, No. 18 BYU, and No. 22 Utah.

Need some more convincing? Alright, let's look at their non-conference schedule.

TCU went on the road and played two ACC teams, Virginia and Clemson. They defeated both. They also played SMU, winning 39-14. Yeah, they played Texas State-San Marcos, a FCS school, but guess who else has played FCS schools this season?

No. 1 Florida, No. 2 Alabama, No. 5 Cincinnati, No. 6 Boise State, No. 7 Georgia Tech, and No. 8 Pittsburgh.

That's six of the Top Eight schools in the country, not counting TCU.

Plus, let's take a look at the out-of-conference schedules of the top three teams ahead of TCU.

No. 1 Florida: At home vs. Charleston Southern (FCS), home vs. Troy, home vs. Florida International, home vs. Florida State

No. 2 Alabama: Neutral vs. No. 14 Virginia Tech, home vs. Florida International, home vs. North Texas, home vs. Chattanooga (FCS)

No. 3 Texas: Home vs. Louisiana-Monroe, at Wyoming, home vs. UTEP, home vs. Central Florida

Out of those three schedules, the best matchup was Alabama's game against Virginia Tech, which they won. But after that, who's second? Florida State, which is an annual rival of Florida and therefore not a game that is a one and done? Troy, who is the best team in the Sun Belt at 8-3? Central Florida?

Especially take a look at Texas' schedule. They won all four games convincingly, but according to the 2009 Sagarin Ratings, the best team out of all of those is Central Florida, ranked 62nd in the country at 7-4 with an all-time record of 1-32 against Top-25 teams. Boy, they really went out and challenged a national power, didn't they?

Meanwhile, TCU went out and challenged Virginia and Clemson, with Virginia being ranked 67th and Clemson being ranked 12th in the Sagarin Ratings. Granted, Virginia is 3-8, but it's still an all-important BCS conference team.

The point I'm trying to make here is that TCU deserves, if anything, a chance to be in the national championship. To be realistic here, this is what they need to happen:

Loser of Florida/Alabama to fall below them
Texas to lose in the Big 12 Championship to Nebraska
Stay in front of Cincinnati/Pittsburgh winner, if those teams come into their game at 11-0 and 10-1, No. 5 and No. 7 in the country

It can happen, but the Horned Frogs will need the voters' help. Coaches, media, and others, I'm calling on you to do the right thing and give this great team a look at the BCS National Championship game.

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