Big 12 Championship Game
The No. 7 Texas Longhorns are in Arlington to play the No. 18 Oklahoma State Cowboys, coached by the dean of Big 12 football coaches, Mike Gundy. The nation’s No. 5 run defense against the nation’s No. 1 runner, Ollie Gordon II. This game is the most important game in the Sarkisian Era, and probably the most important since the night of January 7, 2010, in Pasadena. 11:00 a.m. on ABC. Full preview below. I am looking forward to watching the Longhorns beat the Cowboys and seeing Brett Yormark hand that championship trophy to Steve Sarkisian.
No. 7 Texas Longhorns 57, Texas Tech Red Raiders 7
The Texas Longhorns blistered the South Plains Aggies Friday night. The most dominating win of the season and a beautiful eternal scoreboard as we say adios to Tech. 528 yards of offense from the Longhorns to only 198 from Tech. 302 Longhorn rushing yards. It was a rout on the field and a pretty good party in the stadium.
Jaydon Blue lead Texas with 121 yards, including a 69 yard touchdown run.
Keilan Robinson’s 95 yard touchdown return.
Jett Bush’s “pick of the kicked pass & return it for six” maybe one of the more entertaining plays of the year. The senior linebacker had one heck of a final game in Darrell K Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium.
© Texas Athletics
Two little things I like in this photo. First, Kevin Mar (in the black and white strip shirt and white hat) seems to be looking intently for penalty to call. Sorry Kev. Not this time. Second, on the very far right of the photo, the Tech player squatting holding his helmet.
The Mini-Movie, on Instagram:
The Monday Morning Highlights, on X and Instagram:
https://x.com/TexasFootball/status/1729141294222475564?s=20
https://www.instagram.com/p/C0J30s1s-_z/?img_index=1
No. 18 Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. No. 7 Texas Longhorns
The Longhorns (11-1, 8-1) and Cowboys (9-3, 7-2) play for the 38th time on Saturday. It is a series which Texas leads 26-11. 9 of the Cowboy wins have come in the last 13 years under Mike Gundy. 6 of the Okie State wins have come in the last 8 games, and Gundy has beaten Texas in the two games in the Sarkisian Era. So this is anything but a laydown. Mike Gundy is a good ball coach, and he will have his team ready to play on Saturday. So will Steve Sarkisian. Of note, I understand this is Okie State’s first 11:00 a.m. game this season. The Horns are quite used to it.
Texas and Okie A&M kick-off Saturday morning a bit after 11:00 a.m. at AT&T Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ABC, with Sean McDonough, Greg McElroy, and Molly McGrath. On the radio with the Voice of the Longhorns, Craig Way, Roger Wallace with analysis and commentary, and Will Matthews working the sidelines of Jerry World. Listen to Craig, Roger, and Will on KWRD 1470 AM in Henderson, KWMC 1490 AM in Del Rio, and across South Texas on clear channel WOAI 1200 AM out of San Antonio. On the Flagship in Austin – KVET 1300 AM, 98.1 FM, 103.1 FM, and K2476EL 103.1 FM. This week, on SiriusXM channel 84. And you can always listen to Craig on the Longhorn app.
The Spanish Broadcast on the Longhorn Radio Network with Dr. Rubén Pizarro-Silva and Jesus Mendoza. KTXX-HD2 or KZNX 1530 AM out of Creedmoor for the Spanish and online, I think.
Texas is favored by 15.5 (the line Tuesday night was 12.5; a significant swing, especially before publication of the Austin Horns Fan Dispatch). The over/under is 54.5. The money line is Texas -700, Oklahoma State +500.
Embrace the Hate
How Texas embraced the hate in its last Big 12 season – ESPN
Gratitude
I really appreciate everyone’s emails. Made my Thanksgiving holiday even more special. We had a beautiful family Thanksgiving dinner with all of our children and grandchildren here and my sister Diana and her husband Scott. Peter and Micah got to stay up and have dinner with the grown-ups. It was wonderful. I can’t begin to explain how grateful I am for this Thanksgiving celebration. And reading everyone’s emails over the weekend meant a lot. Thank you.
All-Big 12 Longhorns
A nice batch of accolades for Longhorns.
Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year: T’Vondre Sweat
Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year: Byron Murphy II
Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year: Adonai Mitchell
Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year: Anthony Hill Jr.
All-Big 12 First Team
Xavier Worthy (WR, KR/PR), Ja’Tavion Sanders (TE), Kelvin Banks Jr. (OL), Bert Auburn (PK), Byron Murphy II (DL), T’Vondre Sweat (DL), Jaylan Ford (LB)
All-Big 12 Second Team
Jonathon Brooks (RB), Adonai Mitchell (WR), Jahdae Barron (DB)
Honorable Mention
Kelvin Banks Jr. (Offensive Lineman of the Year), CJ Baxter (Offensive Freshman of the Year, RB), Jonathon Brooks (Offensive Player of the Year), Terrance Brooks (DB), Ethan Burke (DL), Trill Carter (Defensive Newcomer of the Year), Kitan Crawford (Special Teams Player of the Year), Alfred Collins (DL), Quinn Ewers (QB), Gunnar Helm (TE), Anthony Hill (LB), Christian Jones (OL), Jake Majors (OL), Ryan Sanborn (P), Barryn Sorrell (DL), Michael Taaffe (DB), Jerrin Thompson (DB), Jordan Whittington (WR)
College Football Week 13
Rivalry Week was fun, but nothing surprising in the results. If you just looked at the scores, you would have thought “Well, that seems to have gone as planned.” But, if you saw some of these games, or the highlights, you know there were some barn-burner exciting games. Alabama-Auburn tops the list. I have some notes on the games below. But here is the game-winner for the Tide, and the plays that lead to this one are pretty hard to believe.
https://x.com/CBSSports/status/1728564314775466165?s=20
Even more incredible in Japanese.
Oklahoma State Cowboys 2023
A month into the season, I thought Okie A&M was going to be worse than most had projected (which was all over the board, but not higher than third in the league in most of the preseason predictions I went back and looked at). Here is how the Cowboy season played out. I have included the link to each game’s boxscore, because it is fascinating (at least to me) how this season started and who was getting the ball on offense. Gundy obviously figured it out, but it took some time.
Beat Central Arkansas at home, 27-13. A 14 point win over the FCS Bears who would manage to finish the season 7-4. Central Arkansas’ other losses were to North Dakota State (49-31), Tarleton State (25-23), and Austin Peay (14-12). Bears finished second in the UAC.
https://okstate.com/sports/football/stats/2023/central-arkansas/boxscore/15786
Gundy and the Pokes went to Tempe for Game 2, and beat Arizona State 27-15. The Sun Devils had a hellish year, going 3-9 and finishing 9th in the Pac-12. Their only wins were over Southern Utah (24-21), Washington State (38-27), and UCLA (17-7).
https://okstate.com/sports/football/stats/2023/arizona-state/boxscore/15787
South Alabama came to Stillwater for Game 3 and beat the hell out of the Cowboys 33-7. The Jaguars finished the season 6-6. They didn’t get bowl eligible until the next to last game with a 28-0 win over Marshall, then ended the regular season losing in San Marcos 52-44 to Texas State. Ollie Gordon II got 3 carries in the game.
https://okstate.com/sports/football/stats/2023/south-alabama/boxscore/15788
Okie State when to Ames to open Big 12 play, and the Cyclones beat them 34-27. Iowa State ended up with a good year by Iowa State standards, finishing 7-5 and 4th in the Big 12. Worth noting that of Iowa State’s 5 losses, the first was to Iowa who is now ranked and playing for a Big Ten championship (okay, playing in the championship game) and three were to ranked Big 12 opponents (Land Thieves, Texas, and Kansas), and the only ugly loss was to Ohio. Cyclones beat No. 19 Kansas State (thank you!).
https://okstate.com/sports/football/stats/2023/iowa-state/boxscore/15789
The next game, Gundy turned it around, and starting with K State, the Cowboys would win 5 in a row. 29-21 over a very good Kansas State team in Stillwater. Bowman 19/35 for 235, Gordon 21 rushes for 136 and a score.
https://okstate.com/sports/football/stats/2023/kansas-state/boxscore/15790
Cowboys beat No. 23 Kansas 39-32 (also at home). Jason Bean was 23/34 for 410 yards and 5 touchdowns (2 picks) for the Jayhawks, but Kansas only rushed for 90. Bowman was 28/41 for 336 and 2 TDs, and Gordon ran 29 times for 168 yards and a score.
https://okstate.com/sports/football/stats/2023/kansas/boxscore/15791
Oklahoma State beat West Virginia 48-34 in Morgantown. Gordon rushed 29 times for 282 yards and 4 scores. Mountaineers ran for 226 yards and 2 scores, and had 475 yards of offense (to 491 for OSU).
https://okstate.com/sports/football/stats/2023/west-virginia/boxscore/15792
Oklahoma State had no problem with Cincinnati, 45-13. Gordon 25 rushes for 271 yards and a score, long of 75.
https://okstate.com/sports/football/stats/2023/cincinnati/boxscore/15793
The Cowboys capped the winning streak with a huge win in the final Bedlam Game, taking down the No. 9 Land Thieves 24-24. Bowman 28/42 for 334; Gordon 33 for 138 and 2 TDs.
https://okstate.com/sports/football/stats/2023/oklahoma/boxscore/15794
Central Florida 45, Okie State 3. Really still don’t fully know how this happened, and I watched some of the game. Bowman was off, and he threw 3 interceptions. Somehow the Golden Knights held Gordon to 25 yards on 12 carries. Meanwhile Plumlee threw for 299 and 3 TDs and RJ Harvey ran for 206 and 3 TDs. I am guessing the tape on this was rewound and rewatched a few times this week by Sark & Co.
https://okstate.com/sports/football/stats/2023/ucf/boxscore/15796
Cowboys beat Houston 45-30. Solid win as Bowman (29/43, 348 yards, 2/1) and Gordon (25 for 164, 3 TDS) got back on track.
https://okstate.com/sports/football/stats/2023/houston/boxscore/15797
Oklahoma State had Brigham Young in Stillwater to close the season. A win, and they were in the Arlington, a loss, and their bitter rivals from Norman would be back in DFW. The Cowboys dang near blew it, getting the 40-34 win in double overtime. Bowman threw 2 picks, but Gordon was 34 for 167 and 5 touchdowns.
https://okstate.com/sports/football/stats/2023/byu/boxscore/15798
To some degree, Gundy’s early season personnel decisions make the individual player reviews a bit skewed. But on the other hand, the fact that Ollie Gordon II finished the regular season with the number he has is all the more remarkable when you consider the first three games of 2023 he got a total of 19 carries and amassed 109 yards (3 carries for 12 yards in the South Alabama loss).
Ollie Gordon II (No. 0, 6-1, 211 pound sophomore from Euless Trinity) has a “New York in December” rushing resume: 1,580 yards, averaging 6.45 yards per carry, 131.67 yards per game, with 20 rushing touchdowns. First in the Big 12 in yards, TDs, and ypg. First in the nation in yards and ypg and second in touchdowns behind Michigan’s Blake Corum, with 22. 272 receiving yards and a score. First in nation and in Big 12 with 1,852 yards from scrimmage. First in Big 12 with 154.3 yards from scrimmage per game, and second in the nation. A remarkable season. He’s fast and gets to the outside quickly. Per Texas Homer, the offensive line is not good in run blocking, which makes Gordon’s success all the more remarkable. 111th in nation in offensive lines per yard. Worst short yardage rushing power success rate is 118th rushing power success rate.
Alan Bowman (No. 7, 6-4, 209 pound super senior quarterback from Grapevine [and Texas Tech and Michigan]) is third in the Big 12 in passing yards per game (234, behind Gabriel and Ewers, second in total passing yards (2,808). But he drops back pretty far in other Big 12 categories: 11th in completion percentage (59.9%), 11th in yards per attempt (6.8), 15th in TDs (10), 20th in interceptions (11), and 12th (out of 12) in rating (119.54). That’s more interceptions that touchdown passes. He’s rushed 24 times for 71 yards gross, 20 net, and 2 touchdowns. His long run is 13 yards. He’s only been sacked 5 times, which is about the best thing one can say about him. He plays smart and gets rid of the ball.
Brennan Presley (No. 80, 5-8, 175 pound senior WR) leads the Cowboys with 76 catches on 109 targets, 746 yards, 5 scores. 15 catches for 189 yards against Houston. Presley is second in the Big 12 with 76 catches, just ahead of Worthy. Rashod Owens (No. 10, 6-2, 219 pound Junior WR from San Antonio Roosevelt) has 49 catches for 646 yards and 1 score, a long of 45, and he is considered OSU’s best leading deep threat, to the extent they have one. His best game was 10 for 136 against the Land Thieves in the Bedlam win. Leon Johnson III (No. 17, 6-5, 207 Senior WR) has 27 catches for 446 yards, but when he gets a good match-up and is hot, he is very good. 9 catches for 132 yards against BYU and 5 catches for 149 yards against Cincinnati.
Tight End Josiah Johnson (No. 16, 6-5, 235 senior) has 21 catches for 163 yards and one score.
The Cowboys defense is not very good statistically, as you will see below. They are particularly inept when it comes to giving up explosive plays.
Their linebackers are their best unit. Nickolas Martin (No. 4, 6 foot 215 pound sophomore Mike LB from Texarkana Pleasant Grove) leads OSU with 120 tackles (69 solo), 16 TFL for 43 yards, 6 sacks for 23 yards, and 9 QBH – I mean he leads the team in all of those. He also has an interception and a forced fumble. His 120 tackles leads the Big 12. He is also an excellent pass rusher, second on the team with 9 pressures. Collin Oliver (No. 30, 6-2, 235 pound junior Will LB) is 4th on the OSU defense with 68 tackles (42 solo), and he has 14.5 TFL for 65 yards and 6 sacks for 48 yards, plus 5 pass BU, 8 QBH, 4 forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. Xavier Benson (No. 1, 6-2, 224 pound senior Sam LB from Texarkana Pleasant Grove) has 56 tackles (32 solo), 7 TFL for 22 yards, 1.5 sacks for 8, 6 QBH, a forced fumble, and 2 fumbles recovered. Not sure, but we might need to look at recruiting a linebacker or two from Texarkana.
Kendal Daniels (No. 5, 6-4, 213 pound sophomore safety) is second on the team with 90 tackles (54 solo). 1 pick, 2 fumbles recovered, 1 fumble forced. Trey Rucker (No. 9, 6 foot 207 pound senior Safety) is third with 87 tackles (54 solo) and the same line. Cameron Epps (No. 7, 6-3, 208 freshman safety) has 35 tackles (23 solo) and 3 interceptions for 51 yards including a pick 6. A pretty good trio of safeties in the OSU 3-3 scheme.
Anthony Goodlow (No. 94, 6-5, 283 senior DE) has 36 tackles (14 solo), tops along their defensive line, 2 sacks. Nathan Latu (No. 92, 6-4, 265 senor DE from, of course, Salt Lake City) has 26 tackles (11 solo), 2 sacks.
Justin Kirkland (No. 97, 6-4, 346 sophomore) has 17 tackles. Their other nose tackle is Collin Clay (No. 93, 6-3, 310 pounds) has 11 tackles.
Common Opponents
Texas and Okie A&M have played six common opponents this season. The Horns are 5-1, the Cowboys are 5-1.
Texas |
Oklahoma State |
| Kansas – W – 40-14 | Kansas – W – 39-32 |
| Oklahoma – L – 34-30 | Oklahoma – W – 35-33 |
| Houston – W – 31-24 | Houston – W – 43-30 |
| BYU – W – 35-6 | BYU – W – 40-34 |
| Iowa State – W – 26-16 | Iowa State – L – 34-27 |
| K State – W – 33-30 | K State – W – 29-21 |
ESPN has each team’s schedule with results and the top performer.
Oklahoma State Cowboys 2023 Regular Season NCAAF Schedule – ESPN
Texas Longhorns 2023 Regular Season NCAAF Schedule – ESPN
Texas Stats
Quinn Ewers is still at or near the top of the Big 12 statistically. Completion percentage of 69.8% is still tops. Second in yards per game at 270.9. Third in QB Rating at 159.56, behind Gabriel and Jason Bean. Given the Pokes poor defense, Ewers could have a career day. If the line blocks well.
Bert Auburn has a very nice streak going, but being a superstitious baseball fan, I am not going to say anything about that. Second in the nation with 129 points (and 1st in Big 12). He is 3rd in the nation and 1st in the Big 12 in scoring with 10.9 points per game.
Xavier Worthy is second in the Big 12 with 73.6 yards per game on 67 catches. 5 touchdowns.
Adonai Mitchell is 11th in the Big 12 with 58.7 yards per game, tied with Nic Anderson for second most TD catches with 9 (behind Bob’s boy with 10).
Our Super senior T’Vondre Sweat is simply one of the best to ever play his position at Texas. He has been named a semifinalist for both the Outland Trophy and Bednarik Award.
The Statistics
Some notes in this section which I recommend.
Offense
Statistic |
Texas |
Okie State |
| Rushing Offense | #25, #6 – 188.3 ypg | #57, #8 – 167.4 ypg |
| Passing Offense | #32, #3 – 272.1 ypg | #36, #4 – 265.4 ypg |
| Total Offense | #14, #4 – 460.4 ypg | #30, #8 – 432.8 ypg |
| Scoring Offense | #22, #3 – 34.9 ppg | #49, #8 – 30.2 ppg |
| First Downs | #31, #6 – 22.3/game | #40, #8 – 21.8/game |
| Sacks Allowed | #72, #11 – 25, 149 yards | #9, #2 – 12, 89 yards |
| Tackles for Loss Allowed | #44, #9 – 60, 238 yards | #23, #2 – 53, 182 yards |
| Third Down Conversions | #95, #13 – 36.08% | #71, #9 – 38.33% |
| Fourth Down Conversions | #42, #4 – 60.7% (17/28) | #69, #7 – 50% (9/18) |
| Red Zone Attempts | #34, #6 – 50 | #20, #3 – 54 |
| Red Zone Offense | #107, #10 – 78% / 44% | #46, #4 – 87% / 56% |
| Long Run Plays | #52, #6 – 62/10, 22/20, 11/30, 6/40 | #72, #9 – 56/10, 23/20, 15/30, 7/40 |
| Long Pass Plays | #15, #3 – 135/10, 44/20, 24/30, 10/40 | #22, #4 – 130/10, 42/20, 12/30, 7/40 |
Some notes on a few of these categories.
- Our third down conversion rate is abysmal, but some of that is situational. Against Tech, Texas made the majority of its first downs on first or second down.
- Worse than third down is our redzone offense. Texas has scored 22 touchdowns in 50 trips. OSU has scored 30 TDs in 54 trips. But overall, Texas has scored 48 touchdowns to 41 by the Cowboys. Texas has scored 421 points, OSU 362. Yes, we need to be more effective in RZ offense; and we will be in the future. Combine that with our lethalness from distance and the Texas offense is going to be mighty powerful.
Defense
Statistic |
Texas |
Okie State |
| Rushing Defense | #5, #1 – 85.0 ypg | #105, #10 – 172.0 ypg |
| Passing Defense | #95, #10 – 240.1 ypg | #113, #12 – 251.2 ypg |
| Total Defense | #27, #1 – 325.1 ypg | #115, #13 – 423.2 ypg |
| Scoring Defense | #12, #1 – 17.3 ppg | #77, #8 – 27.3 ppg |
| First Downs Allowed | #26, #2 – 17.5/game | #51, #3 – 18.9/game |
| Sacks | #32, #1 – 31, 218 yards | #74, #7 – 24, 133 yards |
| Tackles for Loss | #25, #2 – 80, 322 yards | #38, #3 – 74, 247 yards |
| Third Down Conversions | #1, #1 – 26.28% | #82, #9 – 40.24% |
| Fourth Down Conversions | #32, #4 – 44% (11/25) | #1, #1 – 17.4% (4/23) |
| Red Zone Attempts | #22, #3 – 32 | #8, #1 – 28 |
| Red Zone Defense | #1, #1 – 69% / 41% | #61, #8 – 82% / 64% |
| Long Run Plays Allowed | #7, #1 – 33/10, 7/20, 2/30, 2/40 | #111, #11 – 69/10, 18/20, 7/30, 5/40 |
| Long Pass Plays Allowed | #73, #8 – 106/10, 36/20, 19/30, 9/40 | #69, #6 – 105/10, 53/20, 28/30, 14/40 |
- On defense, we have the best in nation in third down conversion rate. In 156 attempts, only 41 first downs. Oklahoma State has allowed 68 first downs in 169 attempts.
- In redzone defense, Texas has allowed 13 touchdowns in 32 attempts, 9 field goals. The numbers are even better: Texas has allowed 23 touchdowns. Next best is K State with 30. OSU has allowed 43 touchdowns.
Other
Statistic |
Texas |
Okie State |
| Turnovers | #46, #6 – 15 (7F, 8I) | #70, #10 – 17 (4F, 3I) |
| Turnover Margin | #26, #4 – 21:15 +6 | #40, #5 – 20:17 +3 |
| Penalties | #81, #13 – 75, 598 yards | #36, #6 – 62, 507 yards |
*Based on total number of penalties.
Match-up Comparison
Texas Offense |
Okie State Defense |
| Rushing Offense – 188.3 ypg | 172.0 ypg – Rushing Defense |
| Passing Offense – 272.1 ypg | 251.2 ypg – Passing Defense |
| Total Offense – 460.4 ypg | 423.2 ypg – Total Defense |
| Scoring Offense – 34.9 ppg | 27.3 ppg – Scoring Defense |
| First Downs – 22.3/game | 18.9/game – First Downs Allowed |
| 3rd Down Offense – 36.08% | 40.24% – 3rd Down Defense |
| 4th Down Offense – 60.7% | 17.4% – 4th Down Defense |
| Red Zone Offense – 78%/44% | 82%/64% – Red Zone Defense |
| LRP – 62/10, 22/20, 11/30, 6/40 | 69/10, 18/20, 7/30, 5/40 – LRP Allowed |
| LPP – 135/10, 44/20, 24/30, 10/40 | 105/10, 53/20, 28/30, 14/40 – LPP Allowed |
Texas Defense |
Okie State Offense |
| Rushing Defense – 85.0 ypg | 167.4 ypg – Rushing Offense |
| Passing Defense – 240.1 ypg | 265.4 ypg – Passing Offense |
| Total Defense – 325.1 ypg | 432.8 ypg – Total Offense |
| Scoring Defense – 17.3 ppg | 30.2 ppg – Scoring Offense |
| First Downs Allowed – 17.5/game | 21.8/game – First Downs |
| 3rd Down Defense – 26.28% | 38.33% – 3rd Down Offense |
| 4th Down Defense – 44% | 50% – 4th Down Offense |
| Red Zone Defense – 69%/41% | 87%/56% – Red Zone Offense |
| LRP Allowed – 33/10, 7/20, 2/30, 2/40 | 56/10, 23/20, 15/30, 7/40 – LRP |
| LPP Allowed – 106/10, 36/20, 19/30, 9/40 | 130/10, 42/20, 12/30, 7/40 – LPP |
ESPN’s Match-Up Predictor gives Texas an 88.1% probability of victory. Last week versus the Sand Aggies it was 86.3%. Go figure.
TCT Thoughts
I repeat: The key to a big win will be containing Ollie Gordon. The dude is just that good. If he goes off and has a Barry Sanders day, it will be a very close game. I just don’t think that is going to happen. This defense is too good, and I think they have a fire burning inside that has the engine running hot. Ollie may end up with a good day overall, but not overall good enough to beat Texas. Coming in to the game last Friday, Tahj Brooks was second place in the conference behind Gordon with 122.6 yards per game and 1,348 yards rushing on 249 attempts. 5.41 yards per run. Against the Horns, Brooks gained 95 yards on 19 attempts, 5 yards per carry. I think Gordon is a better back than Brooks, and playing for a better coach, but I believe the Horns can limit the damage Ollie does. Let’s hope so.
That run defense is going to have be supported by better pass defense. While Bowman isn’t great, he has some good numbers in the short/medium game. At passes of 10+ yards, he is second in the Big 12 with 117. He drops to 5th with 37 at 20+ (tied with Ewers), but then all the way to 14th at 30+ (10); Ewers is tied for third with 20 pass 30+. I am worried about that soft middle and short edges we seem to have in pass coverage. Possession passing has worked against Texas. Frankly, most passing has worked against Texas. Last I heard, Watts and Catalon may be game time decisions. Sure hope they are ready to go. The pass defense is going to have be better on Saturday to ensure that Brett Yormark has to hand the Big 12 Championship Trophy to Steve Sarkisian. I just hope someone hacks the jumbotron and plays the Lubbock speech again. Little turd-waffle.
On offense, this is somewhat of a rinse & repeat: Texas has to play clean football. No turnovers, no bad penalties. We can’t get in first and 15 because of a false start or second and 18 because of an illegal hands to the face, man down field, etc. False starts on fourth down in field goal range that push us out. We really can’t afford any penalties on offense, but we know that’s not happening (I did hear that Kevin Mar is not calling the game). This has not been a good Cowboy defense this year – 105th against the run, 113th against the pass, 111th against long runs, and so on. A thoughtful, well-executed game plan should put points on the board – enough points to win the game comfortably.
The challenges for Sark and the offense are two-fold: the 3-3 defense has been problematic. For some reason that third safety/nickel – dropping down to an edge or LB or back in coverage to jump routes – has been a bit of an issue. I liked how well Ewers ran RPO against Tech. One of the reasons for the offensive success. If he can make the read and run it that well against the Cowboys, I expect good things. With all the weapons available, Ewers just needs to play a great game. The speed we have with Baxter and Blue and with Worthy and Worthington, the athleticism of Sanders and Mitchell. This team can score 50 again this week.
One area where the Cowboys may have a good edge is their punt game. I knew it was pretty good, but then learned this from Ian Boyd on Inside Texas:
Special teams are a point of pride for OSU as Gundy is all about punting and playing for field position. The Pokes even have two punters this year. Hudson Kaak, who specializes in precision and has dropped 17 kicks inside the 20, and big-legged Wes Pahl who averages 45.15 yards per kick. They’ll have a plan to mitigate or avoid Xavier Worthy (probably directional punting which trades air yards for coverage).
A good article, if you are a subscriber and haven’t read it:
Overcoming the Mike Gundy factor – On3
Playing for field position. We all know how much Sark likes to go for it on fourth down. Oklahoma State is No. 1 in the nation and in the Big 12 in fourth down defense: 17.4%, just 4 of 23. A key may be how well Sark manages his usual instincts and parries and counterpunches with Gundy. I don’t think a lot of fourth down tries will be the way to win this heavyweight bout.
TCT Prediction: Texas Longhorns 44, Oklahoma State Cowboys 24.
Official Texas Preview:
Official Texas Game Notes:
https://texassports.com/documents/2023/11/27/TexasFB23GameNotes_13OklahomaState.pdf
Texas Homer:
Advanced Stats Preview from Nik Patel on Burnt Orange Nation:
Joel Klatt.
Parker Fleming, @statsowar on X
Texas Longhorns vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys
The Winsipedia comparison.
No. 7 Texas Longhorns 57, Texas Tech Red Raiders 7
That was the ass-whipping I have been waiting all year to enjoy. Not just because it was the pesky South Plains Aggies, but also because that was the offensive firepower We have been anxiously awaiting as we watched different elements explode in a particular game, but not come together to bulldoze a defense like George S. Patton’s Third Army.
Texas won the toss, deferred, and forced a 3 and out after Tech got 1 yard. A mediocre punt and 9 yard Worthy return got Texas in business at the UT 44. Great start.
Ewers and Texas went to work. A scoring drive that included 11 yards to Worthy twice, 18 yards to Ja’Tavion Sanders, a couple of good Baxter runs, and Texas was first and goal at the Tech 6. A false start pushed us back, but on the next snap, a nice pass to Keilan Robinson had the Horns in the endzone. Technically a run, as it was a backwards swing pass.
The Red Raiders moved the ball on the next possession, until Malik Muhammad made a great play and intercepted the ball on what could easily have been first and 10 for Tech at the Texas 30. Alfred Collins’ pressure on Morton helped. Need a lot of that this Saturday.
Ewers and the Horns couldn’t turn the turnover to points, and after a good Sanborn punt, Tech was pinned on their own 12. I think making the punt decision there was big, and the kind of direction Texas needs to go on Saturday. Anyway, Tech got a first down, but have Jett Bush sacked Morton on third down, Tech was punting again. Another sorry one – 27 yards. Horns in business at the Tech 43.
Great play and find by Ewers to Sanders. Texas had a first down on the Tech 20. Didn’t like the trick play with Worthy passing. Auburn 34 yard field goal. 10-0 Texas with 2:15 to play in the first.
Bad kick coverage, and Will Stone had to make the tackle at the Texas 44. On the first play, Tajh Brooks ran it up the middle for 25 yards, a couple of plays later, really poor pass defense and DPI in the endzone gave Tech a first down on the 2, and Morton ran it in after a good fake to Brooks. All of a sudden, after nearly 13 minutes of momentum, it was just a 3 point game. 10-7. Got better!
After Texas got the ball, Jaydon Blue provided the immediate answer with the 69 yard run up the middle to make it 17-7 Horns early in the second quarter. Blue is quick and fast.
Tech was moving the ball and at midfield, but a penalty put them in 2nd and 14, and on the next play, T’Vondre Sweat swatted the ball down as Morton was trying to escape the rush from Gbenda (he didn’t). Great call by PK to blitz Hill on third and 14, and the 11 yard sack left Coach Joey & and the Sand Aggies with a fourth and 25. Taafe blocked the punt, and Texas got the ball on the Tech 20.
Great sequence there: quarterback pressure from Gbenda and the hurried pass knocked down by Sweat, blitz by Hill to sack Morton, and then great special teams play to set the Horns up at the Tech 20. Tech had started that drive at their 23.
A frustrating offensive possession – the kind we can’t have on Saturday. Sark went for the kill on the first play, Worthy got open at the goal line, and Ewers got the ball there, but Xavier stepped out. Should have been 7. Then a false start put us in second and 15, then a sack made it third and 17. Baxter got 8 back, but Sark Wisely took the points from Auburn. 20-7 Texas.
Tech’s next possession was scuttled by a holding call that turned 2nd and 5 into 1st and 20. Not a good spot to be against this Texas D. Another subpar punt, Texas first and 10 and the UT 42.
A great drive, with 10 yards to J Whitt who made a great run after catch, Baxter for 13, and 12 yards to J Whitt to the Tech 19. But after a 2 yard gain by Blue, Ewers was intercepted in the endzone. Not his best pass. Costly mistake in most games. Fortunately for Texas, Brooks returned the favor picking off Morton 3 plays later, at the Tech 41 with 5:13 to play.
A couple of good runs by Baxter, and on first down from the Tech 30, Ewers hit Mitchell over the middle for 20 yards to the 10 yard line. Quinn fumbled but got it back, but a miss to Mitchell on third and 8 brought Auburn back on the field. 23-7 Longhorns.
Tahj and Tech moved the ball pretty well on their next possession, but good third down and fourth down defense got the Horns the ball back at the Tech 45 with 31 seconds left in the half. Good hustle by the offense, with 19 yards on 2 runs from Blue, but both Ewers passes were incomplete. Good news was, Bert Auburn was an assassin Friday night. 44 yarder good as the half ended, and Texas took a 26-7 halftime lead to the locker room. Frankly, it could have been 38-7, and I am not so sure that the points left on the field didn’t help motivate Texas to come out and drop the hammer harder in the second half.
Second Half
Keilan Robinson 95 yards to the house. 33-7 Texas 14 seconds into the third quarter. That was just a beautiful return.
The Longhorns defense with a three and out, and another mediocre punt gave Texas the ball at the UT 43. Ewers sacked again to snuff a drive, but again a three and out for the Texas defenders. Guess what? 33 yard punt. Texas starts at its 42.
A recurring dream, as after getting good yardage (Blue rushed for 20 yards) a holding call made it second and 12 at the Tech 32 instead of third and 2 at the Tech 22. Followed immediately by Ewers getting sacked. Bert Auburn for Fifty-Four yards. 36-7 Horns.
Tech punted again, and Texas got the ball with 7:20 in the third. Blue for 3, to Worthy for 8, pass to Blue for 9, Blue for 9. Second and 1 at the Texas 42. Great run by Savion Red for 19 to the 19, and on the next play, Ewers to Worthy for the 19 yard touchdown, great reach by Worthy. Hey 19. Texas 43, Tech 7.
The next series ended with the crazy interception on the kicked pass which Jett Bush took to the endzone to put Texas up 50-7. In the photo below, you can see Behren Morton, No. 2, in front of Jett as if in position to make a play. What you can’t see is the muleta in his hand, as he yells “ Olé ” as Bush bulls past him on his way to the endzone. Ah, a true Matador. Guns Up!
After a 3 and out, Texas got the Ball at midfield, again (if we can manage this kind of field position Saturday even half the time, we will win big).
Two minutes and three seconds to play in the third quarter, and all of a sudden the heavens opened, and a choir of burnt orange clad cherubim and seraphim began singing the Eyes of Texas, as a tall young man from New Orleans wearing the number 16 trotted out and stood on the giant burnt orange steer head at midfield of Darrell K Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium. Grown men wept. At least one did.
The fourth quarter was a joyful celebration of Longhorn Nation. Arch played well. Savion Red ran the ball a lot. A whole lot of kids got to play football. The Texas defense kept the Sand Aggies out of the endzone. 8:37 to play, and the kids led by Arch Manning put an emphatic nail in the Tech coffin with a 91 yard drive that include great running by Quintrevion Wisner, a good 17 yard pass from Manning to Johntay Cook II, and then Wisner runs of 21 and 7 and 10 to the endzone.
With the score 57-7, Texas played the Yormark video. Nice work to capture it by my friend @NashTalksTexas. Good job Justin.
https://x.com/NashTalksTexas/status/1728268310851289135?s=20
Highlights of The South Plains Aggie Rout
Some of these may be pulled down on YouTube. The Big Boys are cracking down on these kids who make these edited highlight reels. Unfortunate, in my opinion.
From ESPN College Football, about 15 minutes:
From Matthew Loves Ball, about 31 minutes
Every Play, from Texas Clips.
Chancellor’s Spurs
Permanently residing at the Chancellor’s office at The University of Texas System in Austin.
Juan Heisman Tailgate
What an afternoon at Juan Heisman. The biggest crowd we have ever had for a conference game, and maybe the biggest ever. The tamales and queso and salsa were outstanding – thanks Rose Marie!. And the Frito Pie was really good. The Tito’s Handmade Vodka was flowing as were the taps of K-9 Lager and Amber Ale from Texas Beer Company. A really great afternoon.
Time to thank as many people from the JHT Crew as I can. I inevitably leave someone out, so apologies up front. Our CEO Judd B. Messer for his good work all year herding the cats. Y’all have no idea how much Judd’s hard work means to the tailgate and to me personally. CFO and CBO (Chief Beer Officer) Brad Laughlin. Brad keeps all our finances (well, and probably dang close to GAAP), ices down the beer and gets it to JHT for every game, and hauls the coolers (and a bunch of other gear home) after every game. Indispensable. Early Crew Chief Hunter Wilcox batted 1.000 again this year. Nary a hiccup on getting to Lot 38 and securing the site; a lot of really early mornings row. Thanks to all the guys who participated in EC, including Judd, Grant Martin, James Butters Barton, Rick Whiteley, Sloan Byerly, Bill Skeen. MVP awards to Martin and Byerly. Attawaytogo. Speaking of Skeen, one of the other jobs that requires pre-game and post-game work is wrangling our smoker. Bill has graciously stored it in the off-season, delivered it to my house before every game, and picked it up after every game. Billy, we love you brother. Our new tailgate manager, Griffin Shavor, did an amazing job, especially for his first year. Rob Dunn, thanks for that connection. Griffin is a great young man, and a good Aggie.
Judd & TCT
Thanks to all the men who are the dues-paying members of the Juan Heisman Tailgate Crew: James Butters Barton, Ben Bennitt, Bob Bull Buchanan, Patrick Buckley, Sloan Byerly, John Carsey, Tim Crowley, Tony Dewar, Bob Dunn, Mike Dunn, Rob Dunn, David Buck Edelman, John Elliott, Gary Farmer, Jody Ferguson, Scott Ferguson, Bill Hall, Brad Hawley, Richard Hill, Rye Hinkle, Spence Howden, Tom Kelly, D. Kent Lance, Brad Laughlin, Grant Martin, Clay McPhail, Judd Messer, Jack Nash, Bill Netherton, Robert Peerman, Joe Robertson, David Roche, Trey Salinas, Collin Shaw, Bill Skeen, Jim Stone, Tom Terkel, Nathan Thornhill, Rick Whiteley, Donnie Williams, Hunter Wilcox, and Bill Wilson. Apologies if I missed someone! Will fix it next week.
I am continuing to update the Juan Heisman Tailgate Photo Gallery on my website, and you can see a lot more pictures here:
Juan Heisman Tailgate 25th Anniversary – Austin Horns Fan Dispatch
A few photos from the JHT Tamale & Frito Pie Pachanga:
Kent Lance & Clay McPhail
The Javier’s Team. Blade, TCT, Ivan
Uncle Buck & Kathy
Super Bill Bradley and Bill Hall.
Oklahoma State University
Oklahoma Territorial Agricultural & Mechanical College was founded December 25, 1890. I am still puzzled about that Christmas Day. Oklahoma wasn’t a state then, and as noted on their website, OSU was founded “just twenty months after the Land Run of 1889”. Founded as a land-grant university under the Morrill Act. 1890 was the year that the Oklahoma Territorial legislature authorized the establishment of three schools: the state university in Norman, Oklahoma Agricultural & Mechanical College in Stillwater, the Territorial Normal School (now the University of Central Oklahoma).
Anyway, 67 years later, someone at Oklahoma A&M, who was obviously pretty bright, woke up and looked south across the Red River (and the Neches and Trinity and all the way to the banks of the Brazos) to College Station, and said “We got to change our name”. So they became Oklahoma State University on July 1, 1957. (Technically they were “Oklahoma State University of Agricultural and Applied Sciences” until 1980).
Okie Aggies. Land Thieving Aggies.
Their mascot is Pistol Pete, based on the famous cowboy Frank Eaton, whose story is one of the great (and true) tales of the Old West.
http://www.eatonhome.org/legend.html
Academic Rankings |
||
National |
||
Texas |
Oklahoma State |
|
| Forbes | 31 | 204 |
| THE | WSJ | 60 | 313 |
| U.S. News & World Report | 9 | 187 |
| ARWU | 24 | – |
| Washington Monthly | 87 | 127 |
| Niche – Top Public University | 6 | 32 |
| Niche – Overall | 42 | 97 |
| Global | ||
| ARWU | 43 | 501-600 |
| QS | 58 | 800-1000 |
| THE | 52 | 401-500 |
| U.S. News & World Report | 43 | 616 |
I will not so humbly note that ranked at No. 41 by Niche is Washington & Lee.
College Football Playoff Rankings
As you might guess, I have quite a few things I could say about this bulls#it from the committee. Why BS? Let’s start with Boo Corrigan’s comments:
https://x.com/NashTalksTexas/status/1729658760480604264?s=20
What the heck does Bo Nix’s completion percentage have to do with his team’s qualifications for the final four? If that matters, then Florida State losing its quarterback should matter too, and the Seminoles should be out of the running.
Best strength of schedule among the top 8 teams? Texas. Most wins over bowl-eligible teams? Texas. Best win? Texas.
Check out this thread:
https://x.com/colecubelic/status/1730062163325132957?s=20
Kirk Herbstreit lays it out well:
https://x.com/R_Barnes407/status/1729901746632229008?s=20
None of that matters if Texas doesn’t win on Saturday. Control what we can control, and win. A big win wouldn’t hurt.
Big 12 Final Standings
Championship Weekend
This is one of the best weekends in college football. Five undefeated teams and four 1 loss teams in the conference championship games.
Friday
Conference USA: New Mexico State (10-3, 7-1) at No. 24 Liberty (12-0, 8-0). 6:00 p.m. on CBSSN. Flames favored by 11, over/under is 55.5.
Pac-12: No. 5 Oregon (11-1, 8-1) v. No. 3 Washington (12-0, 9-0), Las Vegas. 7:00 p.m. on ABC. Ducks favored by 10. Over/under is 65.5. Money Line: Oregon -380, Washington +300.
BCf Toys projection:
| Projected Winner | Projected Loser | PW | PM | PF | PA | PT |
| Ducks | Huskies | .778 | 11.3 | 42.7 | 31.4 | 74.1 |
ESPN Matchup Predictor: Oregon 75.8%
Saturday
MAC: Miami RedHawks (10-2, 7-1) v. Toledo Rockets (11-1, 8-0), 11:00 a.m. on ESPN from Ford Field in Detroit. Toledo favored by 8.0, over/under is 43.5.
BCf Toys projection:
| Projected Winner | Projected Loser | PW | PM | PF | PA | PT |
| Toledo | Miami | .606 | 3.8 | 18.9 | 15.0 | 33.9 |
ESPN Matchup Predictor: Toledo 60.2%
Mountain West: Boise State (7-5, 6-2) v. UNLV (9-3, 6-2), 2:00 p.m. on FOX, Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Boise favored by 2.5.
BCf Toys projection suggests a close game.
| Projected Winner | Projected Loser | PW | PM | PF | PA | PT |
| Boise | UNLV | .501 | 0.0 | 29.1 | 29.1 | 58.2 |
ESPN Matchup Predictor: Boise 55.9%
SEC: No. 1 Georgia (12-0, 8-0) v. No. 8 Alabama (11-1, 8-0), 3:00 p.m. on CBS, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Dawgs favored by 5, over/under is 54.5. Saban has won 16 games in a row in Atlanta, including 8 SEC Championship Games.
BCf Toys projection.
| Projected Winner | Projected Loser | PW | PM | PF | PA | PT |
| Georgia | Alabama | .660 | 6.0 | 29.4 | 23.4 | 52.8 |
ESPN Matchup Predictor: Georgia 52.1%
American: Southern Methodist (10-2, 8-0) v. No. 22 Tulane (11-1, 8-0), 3:00 p.m. on ABC from Yulman Stadium in the Big Easy. Tulane favored by 3.5, over/under is 47.5.
BCf Toys projection. Pony Up!
| Projected Winner | Projected Loser | PW | PM | PF | PA | PT |
| SMU | Tulane | .610 | 4.0 | 24.1 | 20.1 | 44.2 |
ESPN Matchup Predictor: Mustangs 72.5%
Do y’all know how much I love this tweet?
https://x.com/SMUFB/status/1565732504073433088?s=20
Sun Belt: Appalachian State (8-4, 6-2) v. Troy (10-2, 7-1), 3:00 p.m. on ESPN, Troy. Trojans favored by 5.5, over/under is 52.5.
Big Ten: No. 2 Michigan v. No. 16 Iowa, 7:00 .m. on FOX, Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Wolverines favored by 22.0, over/under is 245.5. The money line is Michigan -2500, Iowa +1300.
BCf Toys projection. Somehow the Hawkeyes broke the matrix.
| Projected Winner | Projected Loser | PW | PM | PF | PA | PT |
| Michigan | Iowa | .990 | 26.5 | 25.4 | -1.0 | 24.4 |
Those are not typos. The model has Iowa making a negative point. The projected margin is greater than the projected points for Michigan.
ESPN Matchup Predictor: Michigan 92.6%.
I hope these Iowa fans are at the game. Punts.
https://x.com/CBSSports/status/1728128541198328137?s=20
ACC: No. 14 Louisville (10-2, 7-1) v. No. 4 Florida State (12-0, 8-0), ABC from Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. Seminoles favored by 1.5, over/under is 478.5.
BCf Toys projection.
| Projected Winner | Projected Loser | PW | PM | PF | PA | PT |
| Florida State | Louisville | .709 | 8.1 | 28.6 | 20.5 | 49.1 |
ESPN Matchup Predictor: Seminoles 74.4%
Colonel Joe McPhail
Folks who were at the game on Friday got to see a real life American hero, Joe McPhail. Oldest living Corsair pilot, flew in WW2 and the Korean War.
Texas Lottery Veteran Recognition: Joe McPhail – University of Texas Athletics (texassports.com)
Lots of good info on Colonel McPhail. Very much worth your time.
Clay, thanks for bringing him to Juan Heisman. It was an honor to meet him.
No. 16 Texas Longhorns Basketball
The Longhorns bounced back at home from the UConn loss with a 88-63 win over Wyoming. More importantly, it was Lottie Fleming’s first Texas game. She loved it.
Thursday night, Texas beat Texas State 77-58.
Reminder of the holiday schedule. Come to the games.
- Houston Christian, Saturday December 9, 2:00 p.m.
- Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Friday December 22, 2:00 p.m. Always fun to play the Island Aggies.
- UNC Greensboro, Friday December 20, 7:00 p.m.
- UT Arlington, New Year’s Day, 7:00 p.m.
The Horns travel to Milwaukee on December 6 to play Shaka Smart and the No. 3 Marquette Golden Eagles. Really big basketball game. Wonder if Wheels and CDC are driving.
No. 5 Texas Longhorns Volleyball
The Horns beat Texas Agricultural & Mechanical 3-1 at Gregory Gym to win advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament. Southern Methodist Friday night, 7:00 p.m. at the Greg. Texas is 36-0 in first round tournament games.
Other Stats, Ratings, and Rankings
FEI Ratings. FEI Overall Ratings (FEI), Offense Ratings (OFEI), Defense Ratings (DFEI), and Special Teams Ratings (SFEI) are opponent-adjusted data representing the scoring advantage per possession a team would be expected to have on a neutral field against an average opponent. Strength of schedule ratings represent the expected number of losses an elite team two standard deviations better than average would have against each team’s schedule of opponents (ELS), the expected number of losses a good team one standard deviation above average would have against the schedule (GLS), and the expected number of losses an average team would have against the schedule (ALS). Mean Wins are the sum of individual game win likelihoods for all regular season games including games against FCS opponents (Total) and against FBS opponents only (FBS).
| FEI | OFEI | DFEI | SFEI – Adj | SFEI-Unadj | |
| Texas | No. 6: 0.98 | No. 27: 0.45 | No. 5: 0.140 | No. 1: 0.27 | No. 2: 0.15 |
| Oklahoma State | No. 40: 0.29 | No. 51: – 0.08 | No. 24: 0.73 | No. 52: 0.13 | No. 48: 0.04 |
Available Yards Percentage. Net available yards percentage (NAY) is the difference between offensive available yards percentage (OAY) and opponent offensive available yards percentage (DAY) on non-garbage, regulation possessions in FBS vs. FBS games. Available yards percentage is calculated by dividing drive yards (measured from starting field position to ending field position) by available yards (measured from starting field position to end zone).
| NAY | OAY | DAY | |
| Texas | No. 6: 0.234 | No. 13: 0.579 | No. 5: 0.346 |
| Oklahoma State | No. 46: 0.051 | No. 49: 0.496 | No. 50: 0.445 |
Tech was No. 48 in OAY before we stomped them.
BCF Toys – 2023 Available Yards Percentage
Net points per drive (NPD). NPD is the difference between points scored per offensive drive (OPD) and points allowed per opponent offensive drive (DPD).
| NPD | OPD | DPD | |
| Texas | No. 12: 1.41 | No. 20: 2.86 | No. 13: 1.45 |
| Oklahoma State | No. 57: 0.17 | No. 60: 2.23 | No. 50: 2.06 |
BCF Toys – 2023 Points Per Drive
Net Yards Per Play (NPP). Net yards per play (NPP) are the difference between drive yards per offensive play (OPP) and drive yards allowed per opponent offensive play (DPP) on non-garbage, regulation possessions in FBS vs. FBS games. Drive yards are calculated as the difference between starting field position and ending field position on offensive drives.
| NPP | OPP | DPP | |
| Texas | No. 13: 1.53 | No. 26: 6.57 | No. 19: 5.04 |
| Oklahoma State | No. 76: -0.15 | No. 43: 6.11 | No. 112: 6.45 |
Tech was No. 73 in NPP (-.15), 74 in OPP (5.61), and 67 in DPP (5.76).
BCF Toys – 2023 Yards Per Play
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 | Oklahoma State | .862 | 15.9 | 25.5 | 9.5 | 35 |
Massey Ratings
Texas moves up to No. 6, jumping Florida State and Alabama. Top 5: Michigan, Georgia, Ohio State, Washington and Oregon. The Land Thieves are No. 10, Ole Miss at 13. Oklahoma State is No. 27.
Nate Manzo (@cfbNate on X).
https://twitter.com/cfbNate/status/1729499954421346352
ESPN College Football Power Index
Okie State is No. 37.
ESPN SP+ from Bill Connelly
Okie A&M is No. 41.
AP Top 25 & Coaches Poll
Big XII – Week Thirteen
The Land Thieves took out their frustration on Texas Christian with a 69-45 thumping. OU covered. The spread and the total. They didn’t do so well coming out of the tunnel.
https://x.com/DevinStaton/status/1728172052237131832?s=20
Iowa State got a nice win in the snow in Manhattan, 42-35 over K State.
Houston went to Orlando to play Central Florida and got their 8th loss of the season, 27-13, and the Cougars fired Holgorsen. $14.8 million buyout. Couch change for Tilman.
Oklahoma State 40-34 over BYU in double OT.
Baylor covered! Mountaineers 34, Bears 31. No bowl game for Baylor, but Chip and Joanna will host a nice Christmas Party.
Kansas 49-16 over Cincinnati.
Week Thirteen: Service Academies
Air Force downed by Boise State 27-19. Bummer. Such a promising start for the Falcons, who finish 8-4.
The Southern Methodists were not nice hosts to those nice Navy boys. 52-14 at halftime. Mustangs took their foot off the gas in the second half. Final score 59-14.
Top 25 – Week Thirteen
So, I didn’t get around to this. Just one of those weeks.
College Football Scores Week 13, 2023 Regular Season – ESPN
The one’s I cared about:
- Ole Miss beat the Bulldogs 17-7 to win the Egg Bowl.
- Notre Dame 56-23 over Stanford
- UTSA lost to Tulane 16-29. Still a great season for the Roadrunners (8-4, 7-1). Jeff Traylor is a very good football coach
- Georgia Tech gave the Bulldogs a fight. 31-23 UGA.
- Louisiana State University 42, Texas Agricultural & Mechanical 30.
The Iron Bowl was the best game of the weekend. The ending unbelievable. If you haven’t seen highlights:
What a game in Ann Arbor. Can’t wait to be there next September. Michigan defeated The Ohio State University 30-24. It was a Big Game: Michigan’s win over Ohio State averaged 19.1 million viewers, more than:
- NCAA men’s basketball title game: 14.7 million
- Kentucky Derby: 14.4 million
- NBA Finals Game 5: 13.1 million
- Masters final round: 12.1 million
- World Series Game 5: 11.5 million
- Stanley Cup Game 5: 2.7 million
Other Games of Interest – Week Thirteen
Memphis 45-21 over Temple. Win and cover.
The Rice Owls are going bowling! 24-21 over Florida Atlantic, Owls finish 6-6.
Miami RedHawks 17-15 over the Ball State Cardinals. Great season for Miami, 10-2, 7-1 in MAC, and heading to Detroit.
North Texas and Eric Morris got a win, 45-42 over UAB. Line was 3.
Wisconsin is taking Paul Bunyan’s Axe back to Madison after a 28-14 win over Minnesota.
Liberty 42-28 over UTEP.
A tough season for the Virginia Cavaliers ended with an ugly 55-17 beating by the Virginia Tech Hokies. But some good news over the weekend: Perris Jones walked out of the hospital in Louisville. Thanks be to God.
https://twitter.com/WLKYMadeline/status/1729586529494831510
And, the Virginia Tech team photo in the middle of the field at Scott Stadium didn’t go so well:
California Berkeley upset UCLA 33-7, and the Golden Bears will get a bowl game.
Music
I mailed this one in. Did you know that Darden Smith is The University’s first songwriter in residence. President Hartzell is doing so many great things, but I am not sure many know about his commitment to music.
https://x.com/UTAustin/status/1699943082198737090?s=20
Jim Nicar
Then and now. 1905 and 2020 images from the corner of 21st and Guadalupe Streets, looking north along the Drag. Hackberry trees once shaded the walk along the University’s west side, but were replaced by the current live oaks in 1928 – 95 years ago.
Follow Jim on X
https://twitter.com/JimNicar/status/1729601434100932656
Picture of the Week
From JType’s Instagram account earlier this week.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C0QGsbdrOBD/
God Bless Texas
God Bless America
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
© Timothy C. Taylor, Sr. 2023. All Rights Reserved (as to original material).
On Twitter: @tctayloratx
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On Instagram: @tctayloratx
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and: www.Facebook.com/Juan.Heisman
You can contact me by mail:
Tim Taylor P.O. Box 5371 Austin, Texas 78763-5371