A few things on my mind:
- One. More. Win. Gotta get it up in the cold and the wet of St. Louis, but still- one more win.
- I just don’t see how CJ Wilson is the top free agent pitcher (depending on what Sabathia does) out there right now. I really like him and his off-kilter personality, but I just don’t see anything from the post-season that would make me want to pay him what he will probably get.
- Derek Holland is awesome. More mic time for him, please.
- Mack Brown said the quarterback rotation is back on. I thought last week Texas had made a decision about who the starter would be from here on out and responded accordingly (rightly so) by getting him all the reps. It’s clear to me now that decision wasn’t made last week, but instead it was a disciplinary issue that it seems has now been settled. I think you’ll see both players, although David Ash will probably get more reps. So no one was named the starter yet, as near I as I can tell.
- There was a headline from one of the Oklahoma news services Tuesday morning that read “Oklahoma, Wisconsin victims of BCS System.” What a ridiculous headline and story, talking about how unfair the BCS format is. What, exactly, is ou a “victim” of? They were 30-point favorites at home (where they have lost only three times in the Stoops era) against a team that had beaten them once in Norman in the history of the Big 12. And it isn’t like they lost like Wisconsin on a Hail Mary at the end, either. They were thoroughly handled for most of the game. In fact, ou, you should be thankful that the media is in love with your coach and his persona and you didn’t drop farther down. Afterall, Wisconsin lost on the last play of the game and to a top 15 team on the road and is still ranked below you; you lost to a 4-touchdown underdog at home, and if Tommy Tubberville kicks the field goal and then doesn’t try that silly fake punt, you probably lose by double digits. You are victims of nothing. You sure weren’t complaining about the “system” in 2003 when K-State stomped you in the Big 12 Title Game yet still played for a National Title, were you? Just stop it.
- Miscommunication on the bullpen was apparently the culprit for the Cardinals loss Monday night. It’s a good thing Mike Napoli had nothing to do with it.
- One. More. Win.
TEXAS (4-2/1-2) BYE WEEK
Texas was off last week, but they get back it with KU. On with it.
KANSAS (2-5/0-4) @ TEXAS (4-2/1-2)
Saturday, October 29th
6 pm
LHN
The Horns return from an open week ready to go for the second half of the season. They have had a week off to deal with this two-game losing streak and the fallout from that. The quarterbacks have a week of reps and another week for the offense to slow down, watch film and let everything soak in. Likewise, freshmen Josh Cochran, Jaxon Shipley, Quandre Diggs, Malcolm Brown and the rest of the young guys get a week of rest before the second half of the longer college season begins.
Texas is still two games away from bowl eligibility with six to play. One week at a time, and this week it’s Kansas.
JAYHAWKS
Let’s be honest, folks: this is a bad football team. They hung with oklahoma for a half before the sooner talent took over, but they just don’t have the athletes that other programs have right now. Programs like Texas, for example. I see a few nice things on this KU football team — most notably the absence of Mark Mangino — but across the board this team just doesn’t have the horses to compete in the Big 12 right now. You can’t take anything for granted, and after last year I’m sticking to my guns and saying I shall not, but Kansas is going to have to work very hard to win this game and Texas is going to have to work very hard to help them for that to happen. It isn’t going to happen. The Horns will move to 5-2 and a get step closer to bowl eligibility. Let’s see what Kansas is going to try to keep that from happening and what Texas will do this weekend.
Offense
The Kansas offense and the Texas offense are identical twins in a statistical sense. Both score right at 30 points per game (KU- 30.1 ppg, Texas- 30 ppg), both average 180ish yards rushing (KU- 188.1 ypg, Texas- 181.8 ypg) and in the low 200’s passing (KU- 217.1 ypg, Texas- 203.5 ypg). What that means is the 7th (KU- 405.3 ypg) and 8th (Texas- 385.3 ypg) ranked offenses in the Big 12 will be meeting this Saturday. You might wonder what Kansas does offensively? Well, I’ll tell you.
Quarterback Jordan Webb was atrocious last year, as was the entire KU passing game; however, the 6-foot, 195-pound sophomore is significantly better this year. The only real problem I see is they just don’t throw enough as he averages only 16 attempts per game. On the season he’s completed 67.5% of his passes with 12 touchdowns with five interceptions, which is a bit high, but the completion percentage is good. He has 1,407 yards on the season and it would no doubt be higher if he were throwing it 30 times or more a game. He isn’t much of a runner, averaging just 2.6 yards per carry before sack yardage is deducted, but he likes to move around the pocket and try to make something happen. Sometimes that is good and sometimes it isn’t. The ground game is where KU focuses most of their energy, but Webb has some talent.
When teams focus on running the ball, their main weapon in the passing game is usually the tight end as play-action passes typically get him open over the middle. That is the case for Kansas with tight end Tim Beire, who leads the team with 24 catches. He has a touchdown and 275 yards on the season and the 6-foot-4, 250-pound senior blocks well; sells the play-action well; and slides into a route well. He’s also Webb’s safety valve. Outside the top two targets are DJ Beshears and Kale Pick. The former starting quarterback, the 6-foot-1, 208-pound Pick has made the move outside like former KU great Kerry Meier. He has good hands; good speed, and plays smart. On the season he has two scores on 19 catches for 203 yards. The best weapon outside is the smallest in DJ Beshears. At 5-foot-8 and 185 pounds, Beshears uses his speed and quickness to get open, leading the team in yards (328) and scores (three). They will involve others at times, like true freshman JaCorey Shepherd, but if the Kansas passing game is working, it’s play-action set ups to Beire and screens to Pick and Beshears.
And for play-action to work, the running game has to click. The Jayhawks use a three-headed monster of James Sims, Darrian Miller and Tony Pierson at tailback. The three combine for 175.7 yards per game on the ground and have 13 rushing touchdowns. The top guy is James Sims, the 6-foot, 206-pound sophomore, who leads the team in yards with 485 and scores with seven. He does everything well and they spell him with true freshmen Darrian Miller and Tony Pierson. Miller (5-foot-10, 191 pounds) and Pierson (5-foot-11, 175 pounds) have good speed, but lack Sims’ size and hands (nine catches, 104 yards). If KU can get Sims going, it opens up everything else, including the true freshmen tailbacks.
The boys up front are the ones that will decide if Sims gets going. They do a good job opening holes up front for Sims & Co, averaging 6.2 yards per carry, but when they have to pass block: Yow. They have allowed 16 sacks on the year (after allowing 32 last year) and they struggle with speed rushers both inside and outside. CAN YOU HEAR ME, DEFENSIVE LINE? THEY STRUGGLE WITH SPEED PASS RUSHERS BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE. If they can give the skill guys some room, they have shown they can make some plays.
The Jayhawks know they are going to need to establish the run to win this game. They need to get Simms and the freshmen going so they can use play-action to get the ball downfield. If they can do that, they feel they have a shot. The problem is the o-line can’t consistently give them time to do that, and the 14 fumbles (six lost) tell me that even when they do those skill guys can’t always finish. I expect to see the option with Webb or one of the backups and lots of motion to get the Texas secondary and linebackers moving and out of position for runs off-tackle, like ou and Oklahoma State did. But they aren’t ou or Oklahoma State, are they? No. Figuring out what you need to do and the ability to apply it are two different things. KU moves the ball some early, but Manny Diaz quickly adjusts and shuts them down.
Defense
This is the worst defense in the country. Literally. The Jayhawks ranked 120 in total defense, allowing 550 yards per game, and dead last (120th) in scoring defense, allowing a staggering 50 points per game. It isn’t like one particular phase of defense is really bad and the rest is okay, either: 119th in pass defense, 119th in pass efficiency defense, 119th in rush defense, 113th in sacks (only six on the year), 111th in tackles for loss and 104th in turnover margin with only five forced all season.
This defense is terrible in every single phase, and I suppose the game plan will be to load the box to stop the Texas running game and force CAsh to throw to win. I haven’t seen anything from them that tells me that they will A) be able to stop CAsh from throwing, or B) even be able to stop the Texas running game and force CAsh to throw.
Special Teams
The special teams aren’t very good, either. They only average five yards per punt return (with a season long of only 15 yards) while giving up 10.5 per return. They average 20 yards per kick return, but allow 22 yards per return and have given up a score. They are only 3-6 on field goals with all three misses coming from attempts over 30 yards and they net only 37 yards per punt. They have zero touchbacks on kickoffs. Zero.
This unit is not good and they are going to have to play flawlessly if they hope to keep Texas from running them out of DKR on special teams. I expect reckless abandon and every single trick you can think of to try and make something happen.
TEXAS
Texas needs good things to happen after a rough two-week stretch. No doubt some young guys had their confidence tested in the blowout loss to ou and the loss to Oklahoma State, but a bye week let everyone catch their breath and see the good things in the loss to Oklahoma State and now they see the MASSIVE OPPORTUNITIES in front of them against Kansas. The Jayhawks are the perfect tonic and I think this gets ugly.
Offense
Back in the day (the “day” being 23 months ago) you would hear Texas say things like “it doesn’t matter who we play, we need to worry about us and get better …” which means, in effect “Yes, I know this team isn’t very good, but it isn’t our job to make them better. Our job is to win this game convincingly and move on. The more convincingly the better.” And that is what will happen.
Texas is going to establish the run and get the qb’s some much-needed game reps throwing the ball. Texas needs to keep its foot on the gas and put this team down. Quickly. Don’t leave any doubt or any room for positive progress for this horrible defense. The goals this week should be own the line of scrimmage, end any competitive drama, and get right offensively.
The Horns will meet all of those goals and Malcolm Brown explodes.
Defense
Again, THE OFFENSIVE LINE STRUGGLES GREATLY WITH SPEED RUSHERS BOTH INSIDE AND OUT.
If Texas can’t get after the passer this week with the front four, I don’t know when they will. While this o-line can run block pretty well, they are TERRIBLE pass blockers. TERRIBLE. Texas has to take advantage of this and shut down the Kansas offense from jump. The Horns cannot allow KU to hang around and make any plays to stay in this game. PUT THEM DOWN.
I expect Texas to load the box to stop the run and leave Quandre Diggs and Carrington Byndom outside in coverage with the wide outs. I see a safety watching the tight end in play-action situations and I see Texas attacking the line of scrimmage to blow anything up Kansas wants to do. If Texas can shut down that running game, they can pin their ears back and terrorize Jordan Webb and force turnovers and short fields for the offense.
That’s what is going to happen. Texas is going to live in the KU backfield after adjusting to some modest early Jayhawk success and will force turnovers and score a touchdown of their own. Who will it be and how?
Special Teams
I’ll be brief: Texas gets another touchdown (four straight games) and a blocked kick. I don’t think those two things are necessarily on the same play.
IT’S ON …
If I could say anything to the fans that are all worked up about the two losses I’d say relax. Texas is 4-2 and both losses were games frankly they weren’t supposed to win. The No.1 team in the land whipped them and the effort was bad in many places. The No. 6 team came to town and the effort was light years better and the opportunity for a win was there, but Texas was unable to make it happen. Texas surely could have played better, but those were two damn good teams and maybe they had something to do with those wins (as opposed to just things Texas did wrong). Now the second half of the season starts and Texas is right where they are supposed to be this year, a step behind the seasoned teams with veteran quarterbacks. The Horns are growing up and will get better each week and remember, next year those teams with seasoned quarterbacks will be starting over and Texas will not.
Two more wins to bowl eligibility, boys, let’s get the first one this week.
LAST WEEK IN THE BIG 12
BAYLOR (4-2/1-2) IDLE
No.12 KANSAS STATE 59 KANSAS 21
I wonder if Jordan Webb pours drinks at Johnny’s after the games like Todd Reesing did? That was still the weirdest night I can ever remember, and that’s saying a lot.
No.17 TEXAS A&M 33 IOWA STATE 17
Whoop! That’s how we get to Atlanta and play for the SEC Title! That’s SEC football! Revenue Sharing! Gig’em! SEC Network! Unlimited Championships! Whoop! Boost in recruiting! NO, it’s true. We WILL get a boost in recruiting. NO, WE WILL! It’s written down! Texas and ou can’t compete! NO, they can’t. NO, THEY CAN’T! WE ARE SEC CHAMPS! Whoop! Will, too get everyone we want! Everyone wants to play for us! Aggies!
No.6 OKLAHOMA STATE 45 MISSOURI 24
I was dead wrong about this game. I thought OSU would be flat, but they looked fine. Didn’t help that Gary Pinkel once again found a way to take chances away from his team to win the game. For example: after getting a score to cut it to 24-17 with about a minute to play, Mizzou held Oklahoma State and got the ball back with a chance to tie. The had momentum and the crowd was into it. A score could set the place off: but instead, they ran up the middle and finally took a knee to run out the clock, serenaded by the boos of Mizzou fans. Of course, instead of going in tied or down by 4, they went in down by 7 and turned the ball over in the opening drive of the second half and went down by 14. Sure they made some noise later, but it was over right there.
Sooo… are you leaving, or what? I won’t miss you, Gary Pinkel.
TEXAS TECH 41 No.1 oklahoma 38
Three great unsolved mysteries that bother me: 1.) What ever happened to the Roanoke colony? All they left was the word “Croatoan” on a tree. 2.) What happened to Captain Sir John Franklin’s Arctic Expedition in the 1840’s? and 3.) Why in the world Ke$ha is a professional singer that people listen to and pay money to hear?
THIS WEEK IN THE BIG 12
BAYLOR (4-2/1-2) @ No.3 OKLAHOMA STATE (7-0/4-0) 2:30 pm ABC
Oklahoma State is getting better by the week and I expect them to roll on this week. This should be fun, though, as Baylor had a week off to get ready and RGIII is not a guy a you can prepare for very well. A shootout, but Okie State wins.
IOWA STATE (3-4/0-4) @ TEXAS TECH (5-2/2-2) 6 pm FSN
Tech rolls. Maybe. Or maybe they are very impressed with their win and the kids skip the black body paint and hate and the place is a morgue against a less-than-sexy Iowa State team as the roadie to Austin awaits them all. Tech wins, but it is very close and not pretty. Or it isn’t. That’s waffling.
No. 11 oklahoma (6-1/3-1) @ No. 10 Kansas State (7-0/4-0) 2:30 ESPN
She sings about glitter, sleeping in cars, and more glitter. She actually sings this “… And we kick’em to the curb unless they look like Mick Jagger.” Do you even know who Mick Jagger is, Ke$ha? $3 says you don’t. And what is it about him you find appealing? Being 70? Yes, I’m sure all the 20-somethings in the girls are just in a holding pattern waiting for the perfect elderly British man to show up at $10-to-get-in/$20-if-you’re-a-minor club with an ironic tee shirt and a PBR in his hand to win their hearts. Stop singing, Ke$ha, and stop making me use the “$” when I spell your name.
MISSOURI (3-4/1-3) @ No. 16 TEXAS A&M (5-2/2-1) 11 am F/X
That’s what I’m talking about! This is SEC football at its best! The winner of this game will contend with Bama AND LSU for the SEC West! Whoop! Equal partnership! Not at all watered down with these two additions! Aggies! SEC Champs! Still recruiting great! No Longhorn Network! Brotherhood of non-Texas schools! Whoop!!!!! |
