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Sunday Night Rewind: Week Ten

November 2, 2008 By toddler Leave a Comment

Kudos. . . .  . Congratulations to the Texas Tech Red Raiders for their thrilling victory over the Texas Longhorns.  Most are saying that this win is the biggest win in Tech’s history.  Texas, of course, was ranked number one and Tech number five, six or seven depending on your poll of choice.  The Double T Nation was euphoric with the Raider win and stormed the field.  I even got a “guns up” symbol from a friend at church.  Ironically, this week, I was reading about another upset of Texas in Lubbock (2002) in the new book Rose Bowl Dreams by Adam Jones.  I hope Adam doesn’t think that I caused his Longhorns to lose.  Great win for Mike Leach and Texas Tech.  They did by stopping the run and running the ball, among other things.

BCS Busted. . . . . Another potential BCS Buster went down on Saturday.  I like to point this out because it was my Arkansas Razorbacks that knocked off the Tulsa Golden Hurricane in Fayetteville, AR.  That was probably another win that fans didn’t expect to get, but I know it was a tough blow to the Tulsa fans.  Maybe next year, huh?

Thursday night thunder. . . . . . . All year, upsets have happened on Thursday night.  TCU has been a part one of them.  This Thursday night, TCU fans hopes it will happen again as the Horned Frogs travel to Salt Lake City, UT to take on the Utah Utes.  As it stands, Utah has the best chance of being a BCS buster.  The Utes are undefeated, and if they win out, will have beaten three top 25 ranked teams.  But, TCU and its fans are doing some dreaming of their own.  The Frogs have only played one bad quarter in a loss at Oklahoma while upsetting BYU a couple of weeks ago and routing Wyoming and UNLV in consecutive games.  Beat Utah on the road, and beat Air Force a couple of weeks later, TCU will be 11-1 with its only loss at Oklahoma and wins over two ranked teams.

Gator High. . . . . . The Florida Gators may be the hottest team in Football.  The Gators have made LSU, Kentucky and Georgia look silly in consecutive weeks.  The Gator offense has averaged 55 points against those three teams.  The defense has only given up 15 total points in the past two weeks.  When I did my most recent top ten update, I ranked Florida ahead of the other one-loss teams.  Now you know why.

Rankings

AP Top 10

  1. Alabama (46)
  2. Texas Tech (12)
  3. Penn State (6)
  4. Florida (1)
  5. Texas
  6. Oklahoma
  7. USC
  8. Oklahoma State
  9. Boise State
  10. Utah

Coaches Top 25

  1. Alabama (40)
  2. Penn State (14)
  3. Texas Tech (6)
  4. Oklahoma (1)
  5. Florida
  6. USC
  7. Texas
  8. Oklahoma State
  9. Utah
  10. Boise State

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Metroplex Monday: 10/19/2008

October 19, 2008 By toddler Leave a Comment

Once again, TCU won and UNT and SMU did not.  You can read my write ups at Pegasus News here and here.

TCU

TCU played a Thursday night game against BYU on national TV (sort of, it was on Versus) and really drummed eighth/ninth ranked BYU 32-7.  TCU had not done so well on Thursday nights lately, but this time, they got the job done and looked good doing it.  They showed the nation that they have a very good defense.  For some people, the BYU/TCU game was more compelling than the Florida State/NC State game on ESPN.  Kudos to the guys from the Northeast (or the “mouse ears” as Randy Galloway calls them) for picking the best game ahead of time.  I suppose they thought this was the year that Florida State would be good again.  Of course, those are teams from the ACC, a BCS conference.  At least that game was closer.  TCU gets a couple extra days to rest, and then they get a hapless Wyoming team at Amon G. Carter Stadium.

SMU

SMU is playing competitively.  They have been close to getting wins the last three weeks including a near upset of Tulsa.  I really do believe that a team has to be able to run the ball and stop the run to be a championship level team.  There defense doesn’t seem to be getting the job done.  They can’t hold the leads that their offense gets for them, and the Pony offense is still too young to complete the come-from-behind victory.  By young, I mean young in the system and at QB.  They have some mature, older players such as Emmanuel Sanders along with the emergence of Aldrick Robinson.  SMU’s offfensive line has had injury problems too.  I think that Mustang coach June Jones is about a year away from a significant turn around.  He will need to get help on both sides of the line as it seems he has been able to find guys to step in to the skill positions and make plays.

UNT

The students have approved a referendum which will allow a Athletic fee to be charged so that the Mean Green Athletic programs can experience improvement.  One of the areas of improvement needed is a new football stadium.  Fouts Field, the UNT home, is old and deteriorating.  The facility was not kept up very well, and the Mean Green stadium and its facilities are among the worst in the Sun Belt.  Just imagine that your a young man being recruited by UNT and you visit their facilities.  Every where you turn you see outdated facilties that are falling apart.  Then, you get a phone call from SMU or TCU with their nice facilities.  Is there any doubt where you would rather go play?  I have been in the TCU’s Justin Athletic Complex.  It is brand new, and it is awesome.  The first step is to get the stadium up to par and then build athletic facilities for tutoring, meetings, etc.  You can check out the concept drawing at GoMeanGreen.com.  Unfortunately, the Mean Green football could not match the referendum’s success on the football field.

What are they saying?

TCU

Matt Zemek–BigPurpleNation.com

Mercedes Mayer–FWST

Trae Thompson–FWST

Gil Lebreton–FWST

SMU

Bobbi Roquemore–DMN

PonyPride.com

UNT

Brett Vito–DRC

Brett Vito–DRC

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TCU beats BYU

October 16, 2008 By toddler 1 Comment

The Horned Frogs successfully ran out the last 6 and a half minutes or so taking a knee on the last play of the game.  The victory snapped BYU’s 16 game winning streak which the longest in the nation.  It also snapped BYU’s conference winning streak that dates back to 2005.  The Frogs have an upset win over a top 10 team, but I am not sure how long it has been since they have done that or if they have done that.  The upset really wasn’t a close one either; TCU dominated from the beginnning.  BYU began to get their passing yards in the second half, but TCU stopped them on BYU in the red zone a couple of times.  I don’t think that it would be wise to be any where near the TCU campus tonight.  And, tomorrow, I’m not sure anyone will go to class.  Congratulations to TCU.

Filed Under: 2008 Archives, Live Blogging Tagged With: , , ,

Live Blogging: TCU vs. BYU

October 16, 2008 By toddler Leave a Comment

The TCU/BYU game starts in just a few minutes.  I am anxious to see it get underway.  This is the first time in a while that two ranked teams have played at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth.  The last time, TCU beat Texas Tech in 2006.  Hopefully, that will be the result tonight.

I posted that I expect to see TCU use the “wild frog” tonight.  I am curious to see how it gets used.  The timing of using such a “change up” makes all the difference.  How and when does Coach Shulz use the “wild frog” will be of a great interest to me.

How does TCU win?

Well, TCU needs to do what TCU does best.  They need to hold on to the ball for 36 plus minutes keeping Max Hall on the sideline along with his offense.  They need to mix up the play calling using a balance of run and pass, but they really need to rush for many many, yards.  I think they use Ryan Christian and Aaron Brown early and often to complement QB Andy Dalton in the running game with their zone reads, etc.  Then, in the second half, look for TCU to bring in Joseph Turner to wear down the the BYU defense.  Turner will also get the ball, out of the I formation, in the red zone because Turner is “Mr. Touchdown.”  On defense, they need to get in Max Hall’s face and hurry, sack, and knock him down.  I don’t think Hall is as good as Sam Bradford, so if they get to him, it should make a difference.  Also, the TCU defense needs to keep running back Harvey Unga from getting going by holding him and his mates to low rushing yardage.  If they do that, BYU will become one dimensional.

TCU has broken out the “black shirts.”  How does that effect the game?  We’ll see.

Filed Under: 2008 Archives, Live Blogging Tagged With: , ,

Will TCU use the “wild frog?”

October 16, 2008 By toddler 3 Comments

There is a big game tonight in Fort Worth, TX between the 8th ranked BYU Cougars and the TCU Horned Frogs.  Collegefootballtopten.com will be live blogging during the game tonight.  If you’re going to be watching the game from home, log on to Collegefootballtopten.com to join in the conversation.  My big question, since the Andy Dalton question has already been answered, is, “will the Frogs make use of the “wild frog” tonight?  The “wild frog,” which we named here at Collegefootballtopten.com and in an article I wrote for PegasusNews.com, is a formation where Jeremy Kerley, who played QB in high school, lines up as a QB in the shotgun formation and runs the zone read.  I am sure TCU has other options for him out of the set.  I can see it being a real “change of pace” at just the right time.

Tuesday night at the Gary Patterson Show at the Railhead Smokehouse in Fort Worth, I had Brian Estridge to ask Coach Patterson about if the Frogs have a name for the Kerley package and if TCU was going to use it more.  First, Patterson liked the “wild frog” name for the Kerley package, and second he said that they would be using the package more.  This is the right time to use it.  I think the perfect time is when the Frogs have a short field and want to take advantage of getting points.  It could likely confuse the defense and TCU could score before they really knew what was going on.  We’ll keep an eye out to see if TCU uses the “wild frog.”

By the way, if you are ever in Fort Worth, you should check out the Railhead Smokehouse for some of the best BBQ in the country, certainly in Texas.  My friend Manny will take care of you.  Of course, during the week the Railhead hosts the Gary Patterson Show, and it’s a lot of fun to grab some BBQ and watch the show live.  The next show will be on October 29, 2008.

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Metroplex Monday

October 13, 2008 By toddler Leave a Comment

Another week and another loss for SMU and UNT.  Could there have been improvement?  Check out my write up at PegasusNews.com.

UNT

The Mean Green’s offense finally woke up after its season long slumber putting up 30 points on Louisiana-Lafayette.  Too bad the needed to score 60.  The Ragin Cajun beat UNT 59-20.  There does seem to be some hope for optimism according to GoMeanGreen.com.  UNT’s defense has some work to do, and it probably starts up front.  They are going to have to find some guys who make plays in the front four during recruiting season.  That being said, Eddrick Gilmore has been playing, but had to move inside to DT due to injuries.

SMU

The Mustangs let an upset slip away against Tulsa for the second year in a row, but the fact that they had a lead in the fourth quarter against one of the most explosive offenses in the country is good news for the Pony faithful.  The Mustangs seem to be close to getting their first Conference USA win.  They have been competitive the past couple of weeks.

TCU

In case you haven’t heard, there is a big game in Fort Worth on Thursday night.  Ninth ranked BYU comes to town to play TCU.  Both teams are undefeated in conference with TCU’s loss to Oklahoma as the only loss among the two.  Both team were sloppy in their wins last week.  TCU needs to find its offense.  If Andy Dalton can come back and play well, and the running game is clicking, then this game will be a great one.  However, as Spitbloodtcu rightly pointed out, there are some problems with the offense.

What are they saying?

UNT

Brett Vito–DMN/DRC

Brett Vito–DMN/DRC

SMU

Bobbi Roquemore–DMN

Bobbi Roquemore–DMN

TCU

Josh Harvey–Big Purple Nation

Michael Hicks–DMN

Mercedes Mayer–FWST

Mercedes Mayer–FWST

Filed Under: 2008 Archives Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Sunday Night Rewind: Upsets Abound

September 28, 2008 By toddler 1 Comment

It’s all about upsets in week five of college football.  It all started on Thursday night in Corvallis, OR where the unranked Beavers of Oregon State shocked the world again as they beat the number one ranked USC Trojans.  Not to be outdone, unranked Ole Miss upset 4th ranked Florida in Gainesville at the Swamp.  And on it goes.  The Houston Cougars upset 23rd ranked East Carolina.  The Michigan Wolverines made a valiant come-back to upset 9th ranked Wisconsin.  Navy beat 16th ranked Wake Forest, Maryland got 20th ranked Clemson, and the Alabama Crimson Tide (9th ranked) upended the 3rd ranked Georgia Bulldogs.  Is that enough for us?  There will probably be more to come this year.  Few teams look unbeatable.  Most have stumbled and played sloppy.  Teams can’t do that anymore as the parody is prominent.

I did watch the Oklahoma-TCU game and I was very impressed with the Sooners.  The Horned Frogs held OU to 25 yard rushing, therefore, Sam Bradford dropped back and threw the ball over the coverage for a total of 411 yards passing.  Broken plays cost TCU along with penalties.  TCU was able to do what no other team has been able to do against OU this year and that was slow down the attack.  They held Oklahoma to almost 20 points below their average, but TCU’s offense just wasn’t explosive enough to stay with OU.  As they Sooners get into Big 12 Conference play, they will face far more explosive offenses.  They will need that ground game to keep offenses of teams like Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State’s off the field.  Otherwise, they might be in for several shootouts.  Nevertheless, I now put Sam Bradford at the top of my Heisman Trophy list.  He was just plain impressive.  He was knocked down, sacked and hurried all day, but he delivered.

Looking Ahead

Oregon State vs. Utah
Fresh off their upset victory over USC, the Beavers travel to Salt Lake City to face the Utes.  Utah is undefeated, but less impressive than I expected at this point.  Can the Beavers parlay their win over USC into a successful season?

Oregon vs. USC
Oregon is is 4-1 with its only loss coming to Boise State.  USC is coming off of their upset loss to Oregon State.  Oregon State showed that a shifty, small back can help keep the chains and the clock moving against USC.  Can the Ducks follow that recipe to a win in LA?  Or does upset simply refer to what the Trojans will be when they step on the field?

Auburn vs. Vanderbilt
The Commodores, yes Vanderbilt, is on top of the SEC East standings.  They play an Auburn team that has shown very little on offense in their transition to a spread by new Offensive Coordinator Tony Franklin.  Well, Vanderbilt does it pretty well, and maybe they can give the Tigers a few tips, after the game.  Vandy averages a full touchdown more a game than Auburn, and they are gunning for an historic year.  Oh, and the game is in Nashville, and both teams are ranked.

Missouri vs. Nebraska
The Cornhuskers had a chance to be ranked this week.  All they had to do was beat an improving Virginia Tech at home on national TV, run their record to 4-0, and await their showdown with Mizzou.  Well, it didn’t work out as planned.  Tyrod Taylor gave Nebraska fits, and Tech got the quality win on the road.  Now Mizzou comes to town, and I am sure Chase Daniel was watching that game.

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Wednesday Preview Week 5

September 24, 2008 By toddler Leave a Comment

Here are the games to watch in Week 5.

Illinois vs. Penn State
If either team is for real, this game will show it.  Illinois is fresh off their Rose Bowl season has only one loss this season, to Missouri who seems to be pretty good.  Penn State has revolutionized their offense with their patented HD Spread Offense.  They are scoring points all over the place against lower tier teams.

Georgia vs. Alabama
The ‘Dawgs are scrapping to get back in to that top 2 after slipping from number 1.  A win against a team who, up until now, has looked really impressive, would go a long way toward getting back into that top 2.  A win at Georgia would serve notice that the Tide is back.

TCU vs. Oklahoma
With TCU’s debut into the top 25, this game has just become a battle between two ranked teams.  Oklahoma, of course, is ranked number 2.  When TCU went into Norman and upset Oklahoma in 1996 and 2005, those Sooner teams were not anywhere near the level of this Sooner team.  Sam Bradford is not a first year starter, and they just have so many weapons.  Not to be outdone, however, TCU counters with one of the nation’s stingiest defenses.  They also control the clock to the tune of 37 minutes and some change per game.  Sooner fans haven’t forgotten 2005, and neither have the coaches.

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Metroplex Monday

September 21, 2008 By toddler Leave a Comment

O.k., you can check out the only college football game in the metroplex by reading my summary at Pegasus News.  TCU played SMU while UNT sat it out.  Therefore, there is only one game to talk about.

It was the DFW Duel: The Battle for the Iron Skillet.  The skillet will return to Fort Worth with the Horned Frogs as they took out the frustration of their 2005 game with SMU on these Ponies.  June Jones has a lot of work to do, but I don’t doubt that he is the guy to do the job.  His offense will get better and better with more reps.  His defense is another story.  He has to find some athletes to put on that side of the ball.  He will find them because there are plenty to be found in the metroplex and across Texas.

What are they saying?

Spitblood TCU

Bobbi Roquemore

Bobbi Roquemore

Trae Thompson

Hughes was going to score

Aaron Brown comes through

Mercedes Mayer

David Thomas

Josh Harvey

Filed Under: 2008 Archives Tagged With: , , ,

Sunday Night Rewind

September 21, 2008 By toddler Leave a Comment

You really begin to figure things out after about 4 weeks of football.  What we are learning is that there seems to be a clear cut top tier of college football this year.  USC, Florida, Oklahoma and Georiga all have impressive wins over quality programs.  Georgia and Florida’s road gets a lot tougher as they have entered conference play in the SEC.  Oklahoma has to take on TCU this Saturday in Norman, and the Sooner fans recall rather well the upset the Frogs handed them in 2005.  The Frogs have won two in a row in Norman (1996 and 2005), but neither Sooner team was as good as this one.  That being said, this game is between two ranked teams as TCU debuted in the Top 25 at number 24 in the AP and 23 in the USA Today.


The Clash of Mother Nature’s Wrath

Trine vs. Defiance

This is Mike and Mike in the Morning’s pick for the small college football game of the week.  Quarterback Eric Watt passed for 265 yard and 3 touchdown passes as Trine whipped Defiance 42-14.  Trine broke open a close game in the fourth quarter with three touchdowns.

Looking Ahead

Alabama vs. Georgia
The Tide passed their first road test smoking pork on Saturday, and they get a crack at a bona fide top ten football team.  The ‘Dawgs rolled over Arizona State in prime time Saturday night, and now they are cranked up and ready for the SEC and the Eastern Division title.

Illinois vs. Penn State
Is Penn State for real?  Their offense has been off the chart scoring and gaining yards against mediocre teams.  Of course, the Illini haven’t had top level competition either.  This is a chance for one of these two teams to make a step toward filling the possible void left by Ohio State.

TCU vs. Oklahoma
As I mentioned above, the Frogs are now ranked so this makes this game a top 25 match-up.  The Frogs defense has been dominant holding teams to 183 yards per game, but the teams they have played aren’t anywhere near the caliber of the Sooners.  That being said, the Sooners haven’t seen a defense like TCU’s yet either.  And, TCU’s offense does what the coaches want it to do; they hold the ball for 37 minutes a game which is among the tops in the country.  They get smart quarterback play, they use multiple backs, they have good young receivers, and Aaron Brown has returned to the field giving the Frogs a big play threat at any time.

Filed Under: 2008 Archives, Sunday Night Rewind Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
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