The Scarlet Letter(s): A Football Analysis

I just completed a week of literary analysis in my AP English class.  I was charged with criticizing a critic's criticism of Nathaniel Hawthorne's, The Scarlet Letter. 

The criticism argued that Hawthorne was a feminist activist.  Many of his main characters are women, and that has led many to believe that he promotes strong and independent women coming to the forefront in society.

The critic goes on to say that...bored yet?

The only Scarlet Letter, or letters I should say, that the Texas Longhorns will be focusing on this weekend are O and U.

The Longhorns are faced with the task of stopping college football's best team, the Oklahoma Sooners, on Saturday when they meet in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas for their annual grudge match.

OU boasts one of the nation's most high-octane offenses, scoring 49 points per game and over 550 yards of offense.

The offense is led by sophomore QB Sam Bradford, who has thrown for 1,665 yards and 18 touchdowns to only three picks, completing 72 percent of his passes.

The Sooner offensive line has been stout, giving up only five sacks in five games. It has also paved the way for a rushing attack that is averaging 198 yards per game.

Running backs Demarco Murray, Chris Brown, and Moses Madu have worked well in tandem and have provided an excellent complement to Bradford's passing prowess.

Bradford has a group of solid targets to throw to, including Juaqin Iglesias and tight end Jermaine Gresham, who may very well be the best in the country at his position.

Freshman Manuel Johnson has been electric and may end up being one of the best receivers in the conference.

The Sooner defense has been rock-solid, giving up 256 total yards per game, good for 11th in the country.  The defensive line, anchored by DT Gerald McCoy, has given no room for offenses to operate, harassing opposing QBs constantly.

As good as the Sooners are, they will be facing a Texas team that has improved by leaps and bounds from a year ago.

Much of the success can be attributed to the nearly perfect play of junior QB Colt McCoy. 

The Texas gunslinger has thrown for 1,280 yards and 16 touchdowns to just three interceptions.  Surprisingly, McCoy leads Texas in rushing, with 317 yards and four touchdowns.  He has been brilliant when flushed from the pocket and forced to run.

Texas lacks a big time running back, but senior Chris Ogbonnaya made his case against Colorado last week, when he compiled 114 yads receiving and 76 yards rushing with two touchdowns.

McCoy has a pair of reliable receivers in seniors Quan Cosby and Jordan Shipley, who have combined to catch 10 of McCoy's 16 touchdown passes. 

A very young offensive line has grown up quickly under the leadership of junior guard Adam Ulatoski.  The 6-foot-8 mammoth has helped the line give McCoy more time to make plays, giving up a mere seven sacks.

Perhaps the greatest improvement has been on defense, under the guidance of new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp.  Muschamp's fiery coaching style has inspired a defensive unit that was mediocre at best last season.

The defensive line may very well be the best unit in all of college football, getting to the QB 16 times this season, which is good for No. 1 in the nation. 

Senior end Brian Orakpo has racked up five and a half sacks and at least a dozen hurries on opposing QBs. Roy Miller, Henry Melton, and Lammar Houston have proved to be fearsome as well.

The linebacking corps. has been magnificent, flying all over the field and even playing some decent pass coverage.  Junior Sergio Kindle is finally living up to his potential has a nightmare for opposing running backs.

The secondary, which starts two freshman safeties, has made huge strides, but is still the weak point on this Texas team.

OU has been given the edge in almost every prediction I've seen and rightfully so.  The Sooners are the best team in nation at the moment, but Texas has flown under the radar and this is their chance to make some noise.

Texas must discover a way to run the football outside of McCoy.  As much fun as it is to watch McCoy make plays with his feet, the Sooner D will zero in on him and try to take him out if given the opportunity.  Ogbonnaya was named the starter for this week and he may be the answer to Texas' running back woes.

The Longhorn defensive line must simply do what it has done all season: create chaos.  This unit is the best in the nation at getting to the QB and it must get to Bradford if Texas is to have a chance.

This rivalry usually goes to the team who turns the ball over less.  Texas hasn't been great forcing turnovers this year, intercepting only two passes and forcing four fumbles.  The Texas D needs a big play to swing momentum in favor of the burnt orange.

This game will come down to the fourth quarter, but I believe the first quarter of this game will give us a good indication of how good these teams really are.

OU is an excellent team boasting a host of weapons that can tear defenses asunder.  Sam Bradford is playing as well as anyone in the country and he should be able to make big plays in this game.

However, look for Texas' D Line to make Bradford uncomfortable and provide the kind of pressure Bradford won't see for the rest of the year.

Colt McCoy will be more stellar than his OU counterpart and will turn the game in favor of Texas.

Texas-31    OU-28

In the spirit of analysis, could Brian Orakpo be a feminist?  Probably not...