No. 1 Texas Longhorns 34, No. 18 Oklahoma Land Thieves 3
Texas dominated the Land Thieves to secure a second win in three years over Oklahoma, a notable feat given the last 15 or so years of this match-up. With the win, the series in my lifetime is now 32-31-3 (which includes the OU win in the Big 12 Championship Game in 2018), and the overall series is now 64-51-5 in favor of the Longhorns.
After a flat first quarter offensively for both teams, Texas and Ewers found their rhythm and curb-stomped the Land Thieves. The 31 point differential more than doubled the line that was available most of the week leading up to the game, although I saw it bumped up to 17 Saturday morning. Even there, for Texas to cover the spread by 2 touchdowns in a huge rivalry game is a very good win.
Special recognition to the Texas Longhorns defense, now the Number One defense in the country, in both raw stats and in most of the advanced analytics, all of which is part of the preview for the Georgia game. We knew the Land Thieves had a bad offense, but to hold an Oklahoma team to 89 yards rushing in the RRS is impressive. The numbers are staggering: OU averaged 2.3 yards per rush and 4.9 yards per pass attempted. The Land Thieves ran 69 offensive plays (8 more than Texas), and they averaged 3.4 yards per play. Texas was 6.7 yards per play. That is domination on both sides of the ball.
© Texas Football
The Monday Morning Highlights, on Instagram and X:
https://twitter.com/TexasFootball/status/1845812025051468057
Highlights in Español. ¡Simplemente significa más!
https://x.com/TexasFootball/status/1846715703572701384
¡Los ladrones de tierras chupar!
The Mini-Movie
You love to see it.
No. 4/5 Georgia Bulldogs vs. No. 1 Texas Longhorns
Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs come to Austin for one of the biggest games on the Forty Acres this millennium. Georgia is 5-1, with the one loss to their nemesis, the Alabama Crimson Tide. Excited to welcome Uga to Austin!
https://x.com/InsideTexas/status/1847001441631900063/video/2
For the second week in a row, we get the best broadcast team in college football from the World Wide Leader: Chris Fowler in the booth with Kirk Herbstreit, and Holly Rowe and Katie George on the sidelines. The game will be televised on ABC and streamed on ESPN+. As things worked out, I watched the Beating of Land Thieves from Austin (more below), and I think Chris and Kirk are two of the best ever.
College Gameday will be in Austin for the 10th time. Going to be crazy on the South Mall, but what a great setting to show off our beautiful University and especially the UT Tower. The Longhorns are 12-11 in College Gameday games, the Bulldogs are 17-18. One of the truly great Longhorns and a super good human, Scottie Scheffler will be the guest picker. Love watching Gameday when it is in town.
Hopefully Pat McAfee will get the warm Texas welcome he so richly deserves.
Always good to keep receipts.
Georgia is 3-5 all-time against No. 1 teams, including winning their last two opportunities (33-18 over Bama in 2022 to win the Natty, and 27-13 over Tennessee during the 2022 season). If my math is right, Texas is 33-7-3 as Number 1. About to be 34-7-3!
The game can be heard around the world on the Longhorn Radio Network with the Voice of the Longhorns Craig Way, joined by Roger Wallace and Will Matthews. Listen in Austin on the Flagship, KVET 1300 AM and 98.1 FM. In Marshall on 1450 AM, in Henderson on 1470 AM, and in Del Rio on KWMC 1490 AM. In the Metroplex on KRLD 1080. In Tyler on KTBB 600 AM and 92.1 FM. SiriusXM Channel 82. Dr. Rubén Pizarro-Silva and Jesus Mendoza with the call in Spanish on certain Longhorn Radio Network affiliates and streaming on the Longhorn apps.
Sunday night, Texas was a 3.5 point favorite, the over/under was 56.5, and the money lines were all over the board. Early Friday morning, the line had moved significantly, and Texas was a 5 point favorite. Will be interesting to see where it closes.
Craziest thing to think about: This could be the first of three games this season with Georgia. After this, SEC Championship Game, and then in the CFP.
Texas holds a 3-1 series record against Georgia. That one loss was the 1984 Cotton Bowl. Texas beat the Bulldogs in the 1949 Orange Bowl, 41-28, as Coach Blair Cherry’s Longhorns ran all over No. 9 Georgia, racking up 324 yards in a big win for a team that finished the 1948 season 7-3-1. Leading rusher for Texas in Miami that day was Tom Landry, who carried 15 times for 107 yards and a score (Landry also threw and completed a pass). Billy Pyle added 76 yards on 13 carries, and Randall Clay also rushed 13 times, gaining 69 yards and 2 touchdowns. H.J. Shands, Jr. (of Lufkin, Texas) had 7 carries for 43 yards for the Horns. Paul Campbell was 4/8 with 2 interceptions and one touchdown.
Texas and Georgia played a sort of home & home in 1957-58. Texas beat Georgia in Atlanta, 26-7, in Darrell K Royal’s first game as Texas head coach. In 1958, Texas beat the Dawgs in Austin, 13-8. The game winning touchdown was scored by Bobby Gurwitz, whose grandson Zane had a nice baseball career here at Texas. The quarterback for Georgia that year was a guy some of you older folks (like me!) will remember, Fran Tarkenton. As the story was told in The Athletic, Tarkenton put himself in the game (Butts was the Georgia coach):
“I just ran on the field,” Tarkenton said. “My teammates were telling me: ‘What are you doing here?’”
Butts either didn’t have enough time to stop him or just didn’t bother. Asked what Butts said to him afterward, Tarkenton said: “Nothing! Nothing!” Either way, what ensued was what is still one of the longest drives in Georgia history: 21 plays, 95 yards, capped by Tarkenton hitting Jimmy Vickers for a 3-yard touchdown, then hitting Aaron Box for the first two-point conversion in program history. (It was a new rule that year.)
A huge weekend in Austin with the biggest college game of the weekend (and one of the biggest of the season) and the F1 U.S. Grand Prix. ESPN is billing at as “Texas Takeover”. Been cool to watch the promotional ads on the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network family of channels all week. Love seeing our great City!
https://x.com/TexasFootball/status/1845910839145967815
2024 Georgia Bulldogs
Coach Kirby Smart is in his 9th year in Athens and boasts an extraordinary 99-17 record. Smart and the Bulldogs had one of the best 3 year runs that a college football team can have in 2021, 2022, and 2023. Two nattys and a 42-2 record in 3 seasons is remarkably good.
In 2021, the Bulldogs won the national championship, defeating Michigan in the CFP Semifinal 34-11 and Alabama in the finals 33-18. On their way to the trophy, Georgia had an undefeated regular season, but lost to Bama in the SEC Championship game (24-41). The 2021 Bulldogs outscored their opponents 579 to 153 (38.6 to 10.2 per game average), rushed for 2,864 yards, and Stetson Bennett threw for 2,862 yards and 29 touchdowns.
In 2022, Georgia ran the table in the regular season, and then walloped Louisiana State 50-30 in the SEC Championship Game. Smart got his Dawgs back to the CFP finals after a thrilling 42-41 win over Ohio State in the semis. Most of y’all will recall (and many attended) the championship game with Texas Christian, who got blown out 65-7. The 2022 Georgia offense outscored opponents 616-214 (41.07 to 14.27 per game average), rushed for 3,080 yards, and Stetson Bennett passed for 4,127 yards and 27 touchdowns.
The 2023 Georgia Bulldogs went undefeated again in the regular season, only to lose to Alabama 24-27 in the SEC title game. That loss, of course, helped get Texas in the CFP. Georgia was left with a trip to the Orange Bowl to play a Florida State team that was depleted and “didn’t want to be there”. Heard that before. Bulldogs whipped the Noles 63-3. But 2023 was another stellar season: 562 points to 219 (40.14 to 15.64), 2,677 yards on the ground, and Carson Beck, who we will face Saturday, was 302/417 for 3,941 yards and 24 scores with just 6 picks.
The 2024 Georgia Bulldogs have looked mortal. Here is their season:
Game 1: Beat Clemson 34-3. It was such a thorough whipping that Clemson’s season was in doubt (since assuaged). Carson Beck was 23/33 for 278 yards and 2 scores, nine different Dawgs caught passes (led by London Humphreys with 2 catches for 63 yards and a score and Arian Smith with 5 catches for 56), and Nate Frazier carried 11 times for 83 yards. The Georgia defense held the Tigers to 46 yards rushing (although that accounts for 19 yards lost), and Cade Klubnik was 18/29 for 142 yards with an interception.
Since that tough loss, Dabo and Clemson have won 5 straight: 66-20 over Appalachian State, 59-35 over North Carolina State, 40-14 over Stanford, 29-13 over Florida State, and 49-14 over Wake Forest. Pretty good, although not a dynamite schedule.
Game 2: The Dawgs hammered Tennessee Tech 48-3. Beck was 18/25 for 242 yards and 5 touchdowns. Arian Smith had 2 catches for 73 yards, but 5 different Dawgs caught touchdown passes, and 15 of them had catches. Trevor Etienne ran for 78 yards on 5 carries, Nate Frazier 6 carries for 28 yards, and Branson Robinson 3 carries for 22 yards and a score.
Tennessee Tech is 2-4, with losses to Middle Tennessee State (25-32), SC State (20-22), and SE Missouri (3-43). Wins over Tennessee State (24-14) and Gardner Webb (52-21).
Game 3: Georgia traveled to Kentucky to open SEC play, and the Bulldogs escaped by one point, 13-12. The Wildcat D held Beck to 15/24 for 160 yards and no touchdowns. Trevor Etienne rushed 19 times and gained 79 yards. Branson Robinson carried twice for 5 yards, but one of those was the lone Georgia touchdown in the fourth quarter. 262 yards of offense, while the Wildcats ran for 170 on the Bulldogs.
Kentucky is 3-3. Opening win over Southern Miss (31-0), and then back-to-back losses to South Carolina (6-31) and Georgia. An easy win over Ohio (41-6), then the big win in Oxford over Ole Miss, 20-17. Kentucky lost at Vanderbilt last weekend, 13-20.
Game 4: Alabama got the big win in Tuscaloosa, 41-34. The Bulldogs first regular season SEC loss in 30 games; a heckuva a streak. Carson Beck had 439 yards passing and 3 touchdowns, but that was on 27/50 and with three picks. Trevor Etienne led the Bulldogs with 55 yards on 12 carries and had a TD. Only 80 yards on the ground. Arian Smith had 6 catches for 132 yards and a score, and Dillon Bell had 5 catches for 100 yards (long of 67) and a score. Jalen Milroe carved up the Dawg defense: 27/33 for 374 yards and 2 scores (1 pick), plus 117 yards on 16 carries with 2 scores – a 98.4 QBR. Tide rushed for 117. This was the game with the 75 yard touchdown pass to Ryan Williams.
Alabama is 5-1, Wins over Western Kentucky (63-0), South Florida (42-16), Wisconsin (42-10), and South Carolina (27-25). Sandwiched in between the Georgia and Gamecock wins was the 35-40 loss to Vanderbilt.
Game 5: Georgia handled Auburn easily, 31-13. Carson Beck was a solid 23/29, 240 yards, 2 scores, no interceptions. Colbie Young had 2 catches for 51 yards, and London Humphreys had 2 for 40. Interestingly, Trevor Etienne had 6 catches for 36 yards. Etienne rushed for 88 on 16 carries with 2 scores.
Auburn is 2-4, with their only wins being 73-3 over Alabama A&M to open the season, and a 45-19 win over New Mexico (at home). Losses to California (14-21), Arkansas (14-24), and Oklahoma (21-27). A win Georgia needed, but not a quality win this year.
Game 6: Georgia beat Mississippi State 41-31. Beck lit up State for 459 yards and 3 scores (36/48), but was intercepted twice. Arian Smith 5 catches for 134 yards and a score, Dillon Bell 5 catches for 82 yards and a score. 11 Bulldogs had catches. Nate Frazier had 10 carries for 43 yards, Etienne 11 for 35 with a score, and Branson Robinson 3 for 12 yards and a score. Anthony Evans III actually led with 52 yards, all on one carry.
Mississippi State is 1-5. Their opening win against Eastern Kentucky, and they have lost 5 straight. Arizona State (23-30), Toledo (17-41), Florida (28-45), Texas (13-35).
As our only common opponent, some additional observations with respect to each team’s game against Mississippi State:
| Texas Offense | Georgia Offense |
| Rushing: 197 yards | Rushing: 146 yards |
| Passing: 325 yards | Passing: 459 yards |
| Score: 35 points | Score: 41 points |
| First Downs: 21 | First Downs: 28 |
| QB: Arch – 26/31, 325 yds, 2 TD, 0 Int | QB: Beck – 36/48, 459 yds, 3 TD, 2 I |
| Texas Defense | Georgia Defense |
| Rushing: 150 yards | Rushing: 79 yards |
| Passing: 144 yards | Passing: 306 yards |
| Score: 13 points | Score: 31 points |
| First Downs: 19 | First Downs: 17 |
| QB: MVB, 12/23, 144 yds, 0 TD, 0 Int | QB: MVB – 20/37, 306 yds, 3 TD, 1 Int |
Offensive numbers really are not that different, especially taking into account that Georgia ran 77 offensive plays and Texas ran 62. It is on Defense where the contrast is stark. The Texas defense was markedly better than Georgia’s against Mississippi State.
The Bulldogs
Carson Beck is the star of the team, a fifth-year senior with an 18-2 record as a starter. Beck (No. 15, 6-4, 220) is 142-209-5, for 1,818 yards and 15 touchdowns. 67.9% completion and a quarterback rating of 159.9, although his rating against Top 25 teams drops to 145.5 (still very good).
Beck has some good receivers, headlined by Arian Smith (No. 11, 6 foot, 184, Senior), who has 23 catches for 412 yards and 3 scores. Smith is averaging 17.9 yards per catch (very good, slightly better than Isaiah Bond). Dominic Lovett has 27 receptions for 302 yards and 2 touchdowns, and Dillon Bell has 23 catches for 298 yards and 4 scores. Colbie Young has 11 catches for 149 yards and 2 scores. Tight end Lawson Luckie has 10 receptions for 144 yards and 3 scores.
Trevor Etienne (No. 1, 5-9, 205) is the lead dog for the Georgia ground game. He is averaging 5.3 yards per carry, with 335 yards gained on 63 attempts, with 4 touchdowns. Nate Frazier is next with 194 yards on 37 carries and a score. Their third man, Branson Robinson, has accounted for 3 of their rushing touchdowns, and he is out for the game.
The Bulldog defense is led by two good DBs: Malaki Starks, who has 32 tackles (21 solo) and an interception, and Dan Jackson, 31 tackles (25 solo) and an interception and a fumble recovery. Linebacker CJ Allen has 27 tackles 916 solo).
The Georgia injury report:
The Texas Longhorns
A few notes on Texas, in addition to the stats and what everyone who follows Texas knows.
Texas has won all six of its games by 15 or more points. That is the first time that has happened since 1961.
Some good ones from John Bianco:
- Texas’ point differential (+221) through 6 games is its best since 1915 (+288)
- Horns have allowed just 38 points through 6 games, its fewest since 1964 (30)
- Texas’ 259 points through 6 games, its most since 2005 (274)
No. 4/5 Georgia Bulldogs vs. No. 1 Texas Longhorns
The Statistics
Offense
Statistic |
Texas |
Georgia |
| Rushing Offense | #40, #5 – 189.0 ypg | #92, #13 – 134.0 ypg |
| Passing Offense | #11, #4 – 306.7 ypg | #9, #3 – 318.0 ypg |
| Total Offense | #7, #2- 495.7 ypg | #28, #6 – 452.0 ypg |
| Scoring Offense | #7, #1 – 43.2 ppg | #35, #7 – 33.5 ppg |
| First Downs | #44, #6 – 22.2/game | #45, #7 – 22.0/game |
| Sacks Allowed | #14, #2 – 6, 28 yards | #31, #3 – 7, 49 yards |
| Tackles for Loss Allowed | #65, #6 – 31, 92 yards | #26, #3 – 25, 94 yards |
| Third Down Conversions | #13, #4 – 50% | #76, #13 – 38.9% |
| Fourth Down Conversions | #98, #13 – 44.4% 4/9 | #3, #1 – 90% 9/10 |
| Red Zone Attempts | #4, #2 – 33 | #30, #6 – 26 |
| Red Zone Offense | #51, #8 – 88% / 79% | #24, #4 – 92% / 69% |
| Long Run Plays | #71, #11 – 29/10, 14/20, 5/30, 3/40 | #94, #15 – 24/10, 6/20, 3/30, 3/40 |
| Long Pass Plays | #20, #5 – 68/10, 31/20, 15/30, 8/40 | #14, #4 – 72/10, 32/20, 17/30, 6/40 |
Defense
Statistic |
Texas |
Georgia |
| Rushing Defense | #23, #4 – 103.7 ypg | #43, #10 – 120.2 ypg |
| Passing Defense | #2, #1 – 126.0 ypg | #39, #6 – 192.3 ypg |
| Total Defense | #1, #1 – 229.7 ypg | #28, #7 – 312.5 ypg |
| Scoring Defense | #1, #1 – 6.3 ppg | #20, #7 – 17.2 ppg |
| First Downs Allowed | #5, #3 – 13.7/game | #22, #5 – 16.8/game |
| Sacks | #10, #3 – 19, 114 yards | #77, #15 – 11, 98 yards |
| Tackles for Loss | #8, #3 – 49, 181 yards | #53, #11 – 36, 152 yards |
| Third Down Conversions | #7, #3 – 27.6% | #32, #8 – 32.9% |
| Fourth Down Conversions | #43, #5 – 46.7% 7/15 | #89, #11 – 60% 6/10 |
| Red Zone Attempts | #1, #1 – 7 | #17, #4 – 14 |
| Red Zone Defense | #2, #1 – 57% / 14% | #80, #14 – 86% / 43% |
| Long Run Plays Allowed | #10, #1 – 16/10, 1/20, 1/30, 1/40 | #26, #7 – 21/10, 5/20, 2/30, 0/40 |
| Long Pass Plays Allowed | #1, #1 – 26/10, 8/20, 2/30, 1/40 | #53, #7 – 47/10, 12/20, 7/30, 4/40 |
Other
| Statistic | Texas | Georgia |
| Turnovers | #69, #4 – 8, 3F, 5I | #31, #4 – 6, 1F, 5I |
| Turnover Margin | #36, #6 – 11:8 +3 | #81, #13 – 5:6 -1 |
| Penalties | #60, #3 – 37, 306 yards | #92, #11 – 43, 429 yards |
*Based on total number of penalties.
In total yards, Texas has been penalized 306 yards and is best in the SEC. Georgia has been penalized 429 yards, 14th in SEC.
Match-up Comparison
Texas Offense |
Georgia Defense |
| Rushing Offense – 189.0 ypg | 120.2 ypg – Rushing Defense |
| Passing Offense – 306.7 ypg | 192.3 ypg – Passing Defense |
| Total Offense – 495.7 ypg | 312.5 ypg – Total Defense |
| Scoring Offense – 43.2 ppg | 17.2 ppg – Scoring Defense |
| First Downs – 22.2/game | 16.8/game – First Downs Allowed |
| 3rd Down Offense – 50% | 32.9% – 3rd Down Defense |
| 4th Down Offense – 44.4% | 60% – 4th Down Defense |
| Red Zone Offense – 88%/79% | 86%/43% – Red Zone Defense |
| LRP – 29/10, 14/20, 5/30, 3/40 | 21/10, 5/20, 2/30, 0/40 – LRP Allowed |
| LPP – 68/10, 31/20, 15/30, 8/40 | 47/10, 12/20, 7/30, 4/40 – LPP Allowed |
Texas Defense |
Georgia Offense |
| Rushing Defense – 103.7 ypg | 134.0 ypg – Rushing Offense |
| Passing Defense – 126.0 ypg | 318.0 ypg – Passing Offense |
| Total Defense – 229.7 ypg | 452.0 ypg – Total Offense |
| Scoring Defense – 6.3 ppg | 33.5 ppg – Scoring Offense |
| First Downs Allowed – 13.7/game | 22.0/game – First Downs |
| 3rd Down Defense – 27.6% | 38.9% – 3rd Down Offense |
| 4th Down Defense – 46.7% | 90% – 4th Down Offense |
| Red Zone Defense – 57%/14% | 92%/69% – Red Zone Offense |
| LRP Allowed – 16/10, 1/20, 1/30, 1/40 | 24/10, 6/20, 3/30, 3/40 – LRP |
| LPP Allowed – 26/10, 8/20, 2/30, 1/40 | 72/10, 32/20, 17/30, 6/40 – LPP |
BCF Toys
Excellent advanced analytics. If you want the explanation of one of these statistical categories, the link is embedded.
| FEI | OFEI | DFEI | SFEI – Adj | |
| Texas | No. 2: 1.35 | No. 4: 0.63 | No. 2: 0.69 | No. 38: 0.04 |
| Georgia | No. 4: 1.18 | No. 5: 0.60 | No. 9: 0.520 | No. 24: 0.07 |
| NAY | OAY | DAY | |
| Texas | No. 1: 0.421 | No. 7: 0.651 | No. 1: 0.230 |
| Georgia | No. 28: 1.23 | No. 34: 0.555 | No. 49: 0.432 |
One of the calculations these models make is “DAM”, which is how the defense does in allowing the offense to get from starting field position to its own 40 yard line. Georgia is ranked No. 104 in that calculation; Texas is No. 10.
| NPD | OPD | DPD | |
| Texas | No. 2: 3.25 | No. 7: 3.77 | No. 1: 0.53 |
| Georgia | No. 24: 1.00 | No. 31: 2.82 | No. 39: 1.82 |
| NPP | OPP | DPP | |
| Texas | No. 1: 4.23 | No. 7: 7.58 | No. 1: 3.35 |
| Georgia | No. 36: 0.78 | No. 26: 6.51 | No. 65: 5.72 |
Possession Efficiency. Going to start including this. Possession Efficiency (PVE) is unadjusted scoring value calculated from the results of non-garbage possessions (NP) in FBS vs. FBS games.
| PVE | OVE | DVE | ||
| Texas | No. 2: 4.40 | No. 7: 7.88 | No. 1: 3.48 | |
| Georgia | No. 66: 0.03 | No. 118: 4.66 | No. 13: 4.63 |
Army is No. 1 in PVE.
In BCF’s F+ ratings (Brian Fremeau’s FEI ratings combined with Bill Connelly’s SP+ ratings), Texas is No. 2 and Georgia is No. 4. Offensively, Texas is 4 and Georgia is 6; defensively Texas is 1 and Georgia is 6.
BCF’s Game Projection. “Game Projections are calculated from current FEI ratings and include the projected win likelihood (PW), projected margin of victory (PM), projected points scored (PF) and allowed (PA), and projected total points scored (PT) for each FBS game.”
| Projected Winner | Projected Loser | PW | PM | PF | PA | PT |
| Texas | Georgia | .657 | 5.9 | 30.3 | 24.4 | 54.7 |
ESPN Analytics:
College Football Insiders:
Texas Homer
Advanced Stats Preview for the RRS from Nik Patel on BON
The official Game Notes from The University of Texas:
https://texaslonghorns.com/documents/2024/10/15/Week_8_-_Georgia.pdf
The official Game Notes from The University of Georgia
https://georgiadogs.com/documents/2024/10/14/24FB_GameNotes_Texas.pdf
TCT Thoughts
The Texas offense should be back hitting on all cylinders this week. If we get post-first quarter Ewers, we will be fine. Especially if we don’t pull the ball on the turf. I think our offensive line will be able to protect Ewers and open some holes against a Georgia defense that is not as good as the units that were playing for Smart during the great 3 year run leading up to this season. Although, as Paul Wadlington aptly noted, the Georgia Defense is why the Bulldogs have not lost to any team other than Alabama in 50 straight games. This is still a good defense, and we have a very good offense. If we can get the run game going, and I think we will see a big night from Quintrevion Wisner, then Texas is going to put up some points. But, Quinn is going to have to be sharp – do what he does best, step up in big games on big stages. He is going to have a big stage Saturday night, with most eyes on Austin.
Not a lot of mystery in looking at this game on the other side of the ball. The Georgia offense is centered on Carson Beck, and 70 percent of the Bulldog yards are produced by the pass. That No. 9 passing attack versus the No. 2 Texas pass defense. I suspect that given our opponents, the Texas defense will be stressed far more than it has in the prior six games. Beck is the best quarterback we will have seen this season. That is not to suggest that Texas won’t be able to hold the Dawgs down to some degree, but rather that the score will perhaps not be as one-sided as our prior contests (and thus some of my observations below). But worth noting that Texas has not faced a guy this good, while that guy has faced some very good defenses this year (Clemson and Alabama). Beck did fine against Clemson, and he lit up Alabama.
Beck is good, and the Bulldogs go deep a lot. He is a solid quarterback who will be playing on Sundays, and his game management is very good. But he is a tad prone to interceptions, with 5 this year. The Texas secondary is going to have to be on top of their game, and hopefully we will see some blitzes and stunts like PK threw at Michael Hawkins, Jr. Beck won’t be as easy to rattle, but a few plants in the turf of DKR by Collins and Lifau and Taafe might at least get him off his A game. And our corners are going to have to stay on Lovett as Beck will find him in the short/mid-range game, and giving too much cushion will give Beck to Lovett (and his other receivers) a lot of opportunities to make plays. The Bulldogs miss Brock Bowers, but who wouldn’t. The tight ends they do have are good sized and strong, and Beck will look for them to make plays and convert third downs.
One reason they are so good in the passing game is the big men. The Georgia offensive line is outstanding, especially in pass blocking. I find it odd that is good at that O line is in pass blocking, how medium the Georgia rushing game is. 13th in the SEC and 92nd nationally is not good. The Texas run defense is outstanding. Definitely edge to Texas here.
Turnovers and mistakes are often the difference in games, especially games between two evenly matched (or relatively evenly matched) opponents, as we have here. And this may be the best edge Texas has – Georgia’s relative weakness in turnovers and penalties. 81st in turnover margin at minus 1, and 92nd in penalties. The latter is a good place for the Texas Longhorn Faithful to step up too Saturday night. Let’s make this a night to remember.
Texas 31, Georgia 17
Weekly Honors
This Texas team is different. The weekly honors and accolades are remarkable.
- Anthony Hill, Jr., Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week
- Anthony Hill, Jr., SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week
- Anthony Hill, Jr., Lott Impact Trophy Player of the Week
- Kelvin Banks, Jr., Outland Trophy Player of the Week
- Kelvin Banks, Jr., SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week
- Gunnar Helm, Reese’s Senior Bowl Offensive Player of the Week
- Silas Bolden, Austin Horns Fan Dispatch Game Changer of the Week
AP Top 25 & Coaches Poll
Massey Ratings
Texas, Oregon, Ohio State, Alabama, Iowa State, and Penn State are the Top 6. Georgia is ranked 9th.
PFF – Texas No. 1!
Texas, Oregon, Penn State, Miami (Florida), Alabama, Georgia
College Football Rankings: Top 25 entering Week 8
ESPN College Football Power Index
Of course this Saturday’s game is going to have a huge impact on these numbers, should the game not go the way I and most others are predicting, but right now ESPN’s analytics give Texas a 95.9% chance of making the playoffs, a 48.1% chance of making the championship game, and a 32.8% chance of winning it all. Only other team in double digits for winning the NC game is Ohio State at 17.5%.
2024 College Football Power Index – ESPN
ESPN SP+ from Bill Connelly
Longhorns vs. Bulldogs
The Georgia Bulldogs lone win against Texas came on Monday, January 2, 1984 in the Cotton Bowl, 10-9. Coach Fred Akers’ Longhorns were undefeated and No. 2. I was in Snowmass skiing with my family, mid-way through my second year of law school. It had been a big night in Aspen the night before, but watching Texas lose that game hurt worse than my head. No small feat. As we all know, as the rest of the day played out with Miami upsetting No. 1 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl, Texas would have won that fourth National Championship. Without scoring a touchdown in the Cotton Bowl, but for a miscue. It happens, and sometimes when it happens, the course of history is changed. Coach Akers’ teams would go on to finish the next three seasons unranked, with records of 7-4-1 (1984), 8-4 (1985), and 5-6 (1986).
The programs have remarkably similar histories, but with Georgia having much more recent success under Kirby Smart and the CFP National Championships in 2021 and 2022.
Talley Elizabeth Fleming
I was not in Dallas for the Beating of the Land Thieves as I was in Austin for the birth of Talley Elizabeth Fleming. Mary Elizabeth and Parker welcomed their second child early Sunday morning. All healthy, all home. God is Good!
Peter Dean with his new cousin Talley.
Micah Dean with his new cousin Talley.
Helen Kate with Talley.
Aunt Chula with Talley and Mary Elizabeth
Faith, Family, Friends, Football. In that order.
Texas 34, Oklahoma 3
I would be lying if I said I didn’t miss being in the Cotton Bowl to see this incredible Texas team dismantle and flatten the Oklahoma Sooners. But, it was a good trade (see below). Anyway, it was pretty cool to watch the RRS on TV for the first time in over 21 years.
The first quarter was just abysmal offensively, fortunately for both teams. Everyone has said Quinn was “rusty”. That is a good adjective, but honestly that first quarter performance was worse than rusty. I guess the only reason I was surprised is because I knew that Sark didn’t truly believe that Ewers was ready, he would not have started him and, even more so, he would not have left in the game. That was a testament to Sark’s excellent knowledge and relationship with his quarterbacks. Consider that Ewers first quarter plays were: sack, interception, 3 yard pass, incompletion, 5 yard pass, 3 yard run (on 3rd and 8). Texas put up 8 yards of offense in the first quarter. Eight.
Fortunately for Ewers and the offense, the outstanding Texas defense did not have a slow start. The Land Thieves had great field position and opportunity. Their first drive started on the OU 49, and after getting a first down at the Texas 40, OU faced a second and 10 after an complete pass. PK blitzed Michael Taafe and Michael Hawkins, Jr. was sacked for a 13 yard loss back into Land Thief territory. A couple of false starts later, and it was fourth and 33 at their own 37. Minus 12 yards.
The next OU possession did net 38 yards, but their drive stalled on the Texas 23
Once again, Sark was right. Once Ewers got the kinks out, he was excellent. I am going to do a quick run through our key offensive possessions, because all of the rest of the Land Thief offensive possessions ended the same way: Nothing. No more points. The Sooners were shutout, and by halftime you probably could’ve called calf-rope.
Texas started the second quarter with the ball, and Quinn drove the Horns 75 yards in 10 plays. Keys: 26 yards to DeAndre Moore, Jr., 21 yards to Helm, 7 yard TD pass to Helm
A bad next possession with a 3 and out. But then a 4 play, 84 yard, 2 minute touchdown drive that included the big 44 yard play to Wingo. Next play was the big Wisner run and fumble at the goal line which Bolden somehow recovered for the score. 14-3 Texas. But that play was a game change. The hustle, the momentum, you could feel it even on TV.
The Land Thieves fumbled on the second play of their next possession (Hill forced, Broughton recovered), and Texas had the ball at the OU 43. Eleven seconds and one Quintrevion Run later, 21-3 Texas. Boom.
The second half was not the most exciting 30 minutes of football of the year, and kind of unusual for the Red River Shootout. But Texas did have a chance to put points on the board (or leave them there) on their first possession. Despite that decision, the Horns got point on their next three possessions – field goal, field goal, touchdown. 34-3.
Loved that Matthew Golden pass plays, even more so when Sark let him try it a second time.
Quinn finished with a solid 20/29 and 199 yards with the touchdown and the early pick. Not perfect, but plenty good for the win.
Quintrevion Wisner showed he can be the featured back as he ran for 118 yards on 13 carries, including that big touchdown.
Good things happen when the tight end is in play. Gunnar led in receptions (5), yards (91), and touchdowns (1). I like that.
Texas LB Anthony Hill Jr. had a career day against OU:
- 11 tackles
- 5 TFLs (career-high)
- 4 QB pressures
- 2 sacks
- 6 defensive stops
- 1 forced fumble
Review of the game from PFF (stats oriented):
I had predicted Texas 41, Oklahoma 17. I also assumed four quarters of football. I was pretty darn close on the Horns score, but once again underestimated this Longhorn defense. I hope I do that the rest of the year.
Highlights from ESPN: (about 13 minutes)
Red River Shootout 2024 every play from @TexasClips (70 minutes)
Texas One
The Texas One Fund is the official NIL collective that supports The University of Texas athletics. Texas One provides opportunities to Longhorns use their name, image, and likeness to promote charitable causes. Contributions to Texas One now count toward your Longhorn Foundation loyalty points. It is critically important to support Texas One and NIL for Longhorns. Consider a monthly donation. It makes a difference.
The University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a great school with solid academics and an illustrious history, chartered in 1795 under the leadership of Lyman Hall, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
| Academic Rankings | ||
| National | ||
| Texas | Georgia | |
| Forbes | 31 | 69 |
| U.S. News & World Report | 32 | 47 |
| ARWU | 25 | 121 |
| Washington Monthly | 87 | 93 |
| Global | ||
| ARWU | 45 | 401 |
| QS | 66 | 601-650 |
| THE | 52 | 351-400 |
| U.S. News & World Report | 56 | 303 |
Week Eight in the Southeastern Conference
Auburn (2-4, 0-3) at No. 19 Missouri (5-1, 1-1), 11:00 a.m. on ESPN. Mizzou Tigers favored by 4, total is 49.5. War Eagle!
South Carolina (3-3, 1-3) at Oklahoma (4-2, 1-2), 11:45 a.m. on the SEC Network. Land Thieves favored by 1.5, total is 41.5. I am pretty sure the Gamecocks are going to win this one.
No. 7 Alabama Crimson Tide (5-1, 2-1) at No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers (5-1, 2-1), 2:30 p.m. on ABC/ESPN+. The Third Saturday in October. The 106th meeting in this great series. Alabama leads 59-39-7. Crazy stat: The Volunteers’ 39 wins over the Crimson Tide is more than any other school, and Bama’s 59 wins over Tennessee are more than any other school has over Tennessee. Alabama favored by 3, total is 56.5.
BCF’s Game Projection.
| Projected Winner | Projected Loser | PW | PM | PF | PA | PT |
| Alabama | Tennessee | .542 | 1.5 | 32.4 | 31.0 | 63.4 |
College Football Insiders
No. 14 Texas Agricultural & Mechanical (5-1, 3-0) at Mississippi State (1-5, 0-3), 3:15 p.m. on the SEC Network. Maroon Texas Aggies against Maroon Mississippi Aggies. Texas Agricultural & Mechanical favored by 18, over/under is 56.5. Aggies to win and cover.
No. 8 Louisiana State (5-1, 2-0) at Arkansas (4-2, 2-1), 6:00 p.m. on ESPN. Hoping for some more Tiger magic against the Ozark pigs. They will need it. Tigers favored by 2.5, over/under is 56.5.
Ball State (2-4) at Vanderbilt (4-2), 6:00 p.m. on ESPN+/SECN+. Commodores favored by 26.5, over/under is 57.5.
Kentucky (3-3, 1-3) at Florida (3-3, 1-3), 6:45 p.m. on the SEC Network. Not exactly a great game. Kentucky has three more games that are winnable after this, but Florida still has Georgia, Texas, LSU, and Ole Miss before they close with Florida State. Gators are going to have to win this one just to have an outside chance at a bowl game, and that will require an upset somewhere along the way. Kentucky favored by 1.5, total is 42.5. Florida was favored by 2 earlier in the week.
Week 8: Service Academies
Army and Navy both undefeated and ranked.
East Carolina (3-3) at No. 23 Army (6-0), 11:00 a.m. on ESPN2. The Black Knights are favored by 16 at home at Michie Stadium. Total is 51.5.
UNC Charlotte (3-3) at No. 25 Navy (5-0), 2:30 p.m. on CBSSN. The Midshipmen are favored by 16, total is 57.5.
Colorado State (3-3, 1-0) at Air Force (1-5, 0-3), 7:00 p.m. on CBSSN. Tough season for the Academy. But a rivalry game being played for the 62nd time. Air Force leads 39-21-1. The winner gets the Ram-Falcon Trophy. CSU favored by 7, over/under is 44.5.
Top 25 – Week 8
Friday
No. 2 Oregon (6-0) will be in West Lafayette to play Purdue (1-5), 7:00 p.m. on FOX. While the Boilermakers showed signs of a pulse last Saturday, taking Illinois to overtime, the Ducks had everyone’s pulse racing in their great game with The Ohio State University. Oregon favored by 28.5, over/under is 60.5.
Oklahoma State (3-3, 0-3) at No. 13 Brigham Young (6-0, 3-0), 9:15 p.m. on ESPN. Less than 10 months ago the Cowboys were suiting up for conference title game against the Longhorns. And have not won a Big 12 game since. Cougars are 9 point home favorites.
Saturday
No. 6 Miami (Florida) at Louisville, 11:00 a.m. on ABC/ESPN+. Very few teams in country would put me in the Cardinal camp, hoping for a Louisville win. The Hurricanes are one of them. Miami favored by 5, over/under is 59.5.
Virginia (4-2, 2-1) at No. 10 Clemson (5-1, 4-0), 11:00 a.m. on the ACC Network. A very tough road game for the Cavaliers, but what a win it would be if they can pull it off. Tigers favored by 20.5, total is 57.5. Go Hoos!
Nebraska (5-1, 2-1) at No. 16 Indiana (6-0, 3-0) 11:00 a.m. on FOX. Undefeated Indiana may be the biggest surprise this season, so far. The analytics project a Hoosier win. Indiana is favored by 6.5. I am thinking this is the big upset of the weekend. GBR.
No. 12 Notre Dame (5-1) at Georgia Tech (5-2), 2:30 p.m. on ESPN. I bet there is a lot of Irish fans in Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday. Betting Notre Dame gets the W. Not sure about the cover. Irish favored by 9.5, over/under is 50.5.
No. 24 Michigan (4-2, 2-1) at No. 22 Illinois, 2:30 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+. Big game for Big Blue. Illini are tough, but nice to see the Wolverines favored by 3.5 on the road. Over/under is 44.5.
Central Florida (3-3) at No. 9 Iowa State (6-0), 6:30 p.m. on FS1 from Jack Trice Stadium. Cyclones are really good. Favored by 13.5 at home in Ames.
No. 17 Kansas State (5-1) at West Virginia (3-3), 6:30 p.m. on FOX. Wildcats favored by 2.5 on the road.
No. 21 Southern Methodist (5-1) at Leland Stanford Junior University, 7:00 p.m. on the ACC Network. Really hard to believe this a football game in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Mustangs favored by 16.5, over/under is 53.5.
Other Games of Interest – Week 8
Saturday
Arizona State at Cincinnati, 11:00 a.m. on ESPN+. Cinci favored by 4. Too bad this is streamed, will be hard to tune into the stream at Juan Heisman to watch Skattebo!
Ohio vs. Miami Redhawks 2:30 p.m. on ESPN+ in the Battle of the Bricks. The 100th game in this great rivalry. Miami leads 55-42-2. Miami favored by 3.5! Total is 43.5.
Florida Atlantic at UTSA, 2:30 p.m. on ESPN+. Tom Herman back in Texas. Both teams 2-4 and 0-2. Roadrunners 6.5 point home favorites.
Rice (2-4) at Tulane (4-2), 2:30 p.m. on ESPN+. Seems like this should be the Gumbo Bowl. The Green Wave heavy favorites at home in Yulman Stadium, -22. Tulane should win easily.
Southern Cal (3-3, 1-3) at Maryland (3-3, 0-3), 3:00 p.m. FS1. Trojans favored by 7, total is 56.5. Fight On! ✌
North Texas (5-1) at Memphis (5-1). 6:30 p.m. on ESPNU. Coach Eric Morris and the Mean Green with their biggest test of the season in Liberty Stadium. Tigers are favored by 11.5.
Juan Heisman Tailgate
The JHT Crew is looking forward to a big day on Saturday. We will be up and running by 1:30 or so. With the official festivities going strong below us on the LBJ Lawn and around the stadium, we will be enjoying Tito’s Handmade Vodka, great craft brewed beer from Texas Beer Company, plenty of other great beers and spirits thanks to our partnership with Twin Liquor, and water. Smoked pork tenderloin sliders (thanks to Henry “Tony” Dewar), lots of venison sausage and other brats, and great Hebrew National hotdogs (my favorite brand).
J.D. Gins of Texas Beer is bringing kegs of their great K-9 Lager and the outstanding Oktaylorfest (will be a long night for Kelly Dunn). J.D. said this batch of the K-9 Lager is exceptional; this brew is a German-style lager (4.5% ABV), and a portion of all sales proceeds benefit K9’s for Warriors, the largest charity in the country that trains Service Dogs for veteran. You can find it in your local HEB. J.D. should also have some IPA and the excellent Wild Texas Kolsch in the cans.
Hurricane Relief
The tragic loss of life and destruction from Helene and Milton is heartbreaking. There are dozens of charities and organizations doing good work to help those hurt by the hurricanes. The Salvation Army’s disaster response is worthy of your support. The Salvation Army Mission Statement: The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.
Washington & Lee University
Down Go the Hampsters!
Washington & Lee ran all over the Tigers, beating the rivals from Farmville 28-26. The Generals rushed for 267 yards and 4 touchdowns, led by Jacob Romero who ran for 148 yards and 3 scores on 25 carries. H-S QB Carter Sido did manage to pass for 232 yards and a score, but the Washington & Lee Department of Defense sacked him four times for 41 yards, registering a total of 9 tackles for loss.
Ball control: W&L had a drive of 9:38 in the first and second quarters that ended with a touchdown, and then a drive of 8:41 in the fourth quarter that ended in the Victory Formation. Mr. Mica owes me lunch at The Headliners Club.
This Saturday, the Blue & White travel to Greensboro, North Carolina to play Guilford College. The Quakers are 3-2 and very friendly. Guilford has wins over Greensboro College, Methodist University, and Sewanee. Since the big win over The University of the South, Guilford has losses to Hamden-Sydney (0-31) and No. 25 Randolph-Macon (0-63). 94 to nothing is a bad 2 game stretch.
Week Seven in the Southeastern Conference
The South Carolina Gamecocks gave the Crimson Tide a fight and dang near got the win in Tuscaloosa. No. 7 Alabama had to rally and then get a huge break at the end to beat USC in Tuscaloosa, 27-25. Gamecocks were a 2-point conversion away from forcing overtime, and if they had, it sure felt like they had a chance at the upset. Milroe had an off day, 16/23-2 with 1 TD passing; 2 rushing touchdowns, but only 36 yards on 18 attempts that included a long run of 27. Do the math. SC covered easily. 52 points; the total was 50.5.
The Magnolia Bowl was a great football game, with Louisiana State getting the 29-26 win over Ole Miss in overtime. Bet that hurt…
Missouri 45-3 massacre of the Minutemen in Massachusetts.
Georgia 41-31 over Mississippi State, covered above. Quite a cover of the 34 point line.
Tennessee needed overtime to beat the Florida Gators, 23-17. Sometimes feels like Napier and his team are just on the cusp of figuring things out. Let’s watch that.
Vanderbilt wins again, 20-13 over favored Kentucky in Lexington.
Week 7: Service Academies
Army rolled over UAB 44-10. Black Knights quarterback Bryson Daily was 3/7 for 102 yards and a TD, and he ran for 136 yards and 4 scores. His QBR was 99.9.
SportsCenter on X: “THIS STIFF ARM BY BRYSON DAILY
Air Force throttled at New Mexico, 52-37. Ouch.
Top 25 – Week 7
Friday night was No. 16 Utah at Arizona State. My note was “Watch out for Cameron Skattebo.” The Utes tried to, but the Sun Devils got yet another of a ranked team, as Arizona State beat Utah 27-19. Skattebo carried 22 times for 158 yards and 2 touchdowns.
No. 2 Ohio State at No. 3 Oregon was an incredible football game, and I am glad I got to watch it. Made all the better seeing the Buckeyes slide smoothly into a defeat. 32-31 Ducks. Swoosh.
No. 4 Penn State at Southern Cal was also a heck of game, as the Trojans took a 20-6 lead to the locker room at halftime, and the Nittany Lions clawed their way back into the game in the second half and forced overtime. PSU wins 33-30. Line was 3.5 or so.
No. 10 Clemson scored 28 points in the second quarter on their way to a 49-14 rout of at Wake Forest.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish also posted seven touchdowns as they beat Leland Stanford Junior University 49-7. Notre Dame covered the line (22.5) and the total (45.5).
Pitt stayed perfect with closed 17-15 win over Cal Berkeley. Odd to see the over/under (58.5) missed by that much. But line was 3.5.
Purdue 49, No. 23 Illinois 50. The other side of the over/under coin, as it was 48.5 and both teams beat that.
No. 14 Brigham Young 41-19 over Arizona.
No. 11 Iowa State beats West Virginia 28-16 in Morgantown.
No. 18 Kansas State 31-28 over Colorado in what was a very entertaining game. Wildcats were favored by 3.5.
No. 17 Boise State 28-7 over Hawaii.
Other Games of Interest – Week 7
Saturday
Georgia Tech beat the Tarheels 41-34 as North Carolina drops to 3-4.
Miami Redhawks 38-14 over Eastern Michigan. Big win, big cover..
Louisville 24-20 over Virginia. The Hoos covered!
North Texas 41-37 over Tom Herman’s Florida Atlantic Owls. Chandler Morris 27/45 for 336 yard and 4 scores with 1 interception. North Texas was favored by 5.
Big win for Rice, 29-27 over UTSA. Tough, surprisingly tough, season for UTSA as they dropped to 2-4.
Music
As a welcome gesture to our guests from Georgia I decided to go with some of my favorite songs about Georgia. As with most of my research, this led to an interesting evening of listening to music. My Kappa Alpha Order brothers Robbie Nichols and Stan Barnes, two fine Georgians, recommended a couple. A lot of songs, but a good playlist for the Bulldog fans for the long drive back to Georgia on Sunday after their loss.
My favorite of all Georgia-related songs is Midnight Train to Georgia, Gladys Knight & The Pips. It’s actually one of my favorite songs of all time.
Reba McEntire, The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia
Brook Benton, Rainy Night in Georgia
Sweet Georgia Brown. I listened to all these renditions. You can choose your favorite.
Ella Fitzgerald & Duke Ellington:
Louis Armstrong:
Django Reinhardt:
Wynton Marsalis Quintet Featuring Mark O’Connor and Frank Vignola
Corey Smith, Twenty-One
Corey Smith, Every Dawg
Allman Brothers, Statesboro Blues
Allman Brothers, Ramblin’ Man
The Band, The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down. This is from The Last Waltz.
Jim Nicar
“1945: The east-side student section at a UT Austin football game in Texas Memorial Stadium, long before the “wear orange” mantra. That’s the Longhorn Band on the right in white shirts, ties, and hats. And soft drinks were sold in bottles – no souvenir plastic cups.”
From Jim’s Post on October 15, 2024.
Follow Jim on X
Picture of the Week
From Austin photographer JType’s Instagram post on October 9, 2024
@jtype • Instagram photos and videos
Quote of the Week
Dr. Francis Sellers Collins is an American physician-scientist and author who led the Human Genome Project and later was director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under the Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations. In his 2024 book, The Road to Wisdom: On Truth, Science, Faith, and Trust, he recounts his scientific journey to faith, including the following:
“As a scientist I had studied and admired the elegant physical laws that govern matter and energy. These were simple, even beautiful, mathematical representations of scientific truth. But why should the universe have such properties? Going even further to explore these laws, I learned something even more stunning — that the universe is precisely tuned to allow something interesting to happen after the Big Bang. . . . The mathematical laws that govern matter and energy all include constants whose actual value cannot be derived by theory – you just have to measure them. They are what they are. Take gravity, for instance. Gravity has a very specific, measurable, universal force. . . . Gravity made it possible after the Big Bang for matter to coalesce into stars, galaxies, planets, and ultimately us. But what would happen if the value of that gravitational constant was just a little different? Here’s the stunning answer: if it was just one part in 1014 (that’s 1 with 14 zeroes) stronger or weaker, there would be no stars, galaxies, planets—and hence no possibility of life.
It’s not just gravity that has this knife-edge fine-tuning to allow for an interesting universe. All of the other major constants — the speed of light, the strong and weak nuclear forces, the mass of the electron, and several others — that determine the physical properties of matter and energy have precisely the value they need to for us (or any other complex life-form) to be here.
This can’t just be good luck. Even the atheist Stephen Hawking allowed that ‘the remarkable fact is that the values of these numbers seem to have been very finely adjusted to make possible the development of life.’ Either these parameters were set by a Creator, or we are forced to consider the possible existence of an infinite number of alternative universes with different values of these constants. Because we are here, we are in the one (or one of the very few?) where it all worked out. Scientists tell us that it is extremely unlikely that we will ever be able to observe the existence of these other hypothetical universes. Furthermore, their postulated but unproven existence does not solve the problem of how these universes all got started, and why there is something instead of nothing. Given these options, I had to conclude that the Creator hypothesis was profoundly more compelling than the atheist alternative. Ultimately, I seem to have lived out the predictions of a quote attributed to the Nobel Prize–winning physicist Werner Heisenberg, the author of the famous uncertainty principle: ‘The first gulp from the glass of natural sciences will turn you into an atheist, but at the bottom of the glass God is waiting for you.’ I had reached the bottom of the glass.”
From a friend who sends out a daily motivational quote.
This one struck a deep chord with me. While I have always been a Christian, I had a profound moment of affirmation in God and his creation of our world as a young chemistry major. With respect to almost all (if not all – I don’t recall that part) common naturally occurring compounds, the solid tends to be denser (and thus heavier) than the liquid. Except for the simple water molecule. Two atoms of hydrogen attached to one atom of oxygen. When it freezes –goes from liquid to solid – it becomes lighter, and thus ice floats. The unique nature of the water crystal makes the solid (ice) less dense than the liquid form (water). If it was the other way around, then life as we know it would never have existed. As the oceans and lakes first froze, the ice would have sunk to the bottom, and the world’s waters would have frozen solid from the bottom up. That simple water molecule is of extraordinary intelligent design by our God.
God Bless Texas
God Bless America
Dios y Tejas,
Tim Taylor
Member, Football Writers Association of America
Tailgating before Home Football Games
The Juan Heisman Tailgate
Lot 38, East of Sid Richardson Hall
HOOK EM HORNS!!
The Austin Horns Fan Dispatch
Vol. XXI, No. 9
© Timothy C. Taylor, Sr. 2024. All Rights Reserved (as to original material).
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Tim Taylor P.O. Box 5371 Austin, Texas 78763-5371