New AP Poll Out - Texas new #1

Those #s are skewed because of a couple big plays

Texas had 10 running plays go more than 3 yards.
Not counting Mccoy scrambles, texas had 4 running plays go more than 3 yards.

I still think running game is a problem for texas.

 

I love that reasoning.

The run game, while averaging almost 5 yards per carry, sucked because one of those carries was for 62 freaking yards.

Please explain to me again why the running game didn't work...especially in the 2nd half?

 

because big runs are nice, but a good running game should be able to get you 1st downs and let you build drives in my opinion. if 90% of the time you are getting stuffed, the run game isnt working

Without the 62 yarder and 30 yarder, the run game numbers were just not that good.

 

I still can't believe USC is up there...They lose to a un-ranked team, beat another crappy team and then this? The polls are such BS...

 

But they did have them. The 62 yard run set up the last td. Without it, they may not have completed that drive. Therefore, it's just as important as any other rushing attempt. In the grand scheme, the run game was clearly effective.

 

It was effective in that game, but it's not effective as far as a predictive nature goes. You can't count on running the ball one yard at a time hoping for a random 60 yard gain. A truly good running game should be consistent - and that's what's lacking in the UT running game right now. The vast majority of the time in this game, both teams' rushing attempts were simply wastes of downs.

That said, OU and UT both have great run defenses, so I'm not sure how good a gauge that particular game is of either team's run offenses.

 

Right. Texas didn't show a punishing run game. They didn't control the game by the run. You know. The thing championship teams can do. I am not saying Texas isn't good though. Just not on the level of Alabama.

 

yeah, that 17-14 squeaker at home against kentucky really cemented bama as the team to beat.

 

Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State would all beat Alabama by double digits. If any of those five gets Alabama in a bowl game, I'm betting the proverbial farm on that.

 

Texas was pretty much trailing the entire game; we weren't in a position to try to control the game by runnng the ball. You don't run the ball when you're playing catch up. Both teams are excellent in stopping the run so I don't think anyone was expecting to see much a running game to begin with.

I understand if you think Bama has a better running game, which they probably do at this point. If you don't think Texas can control the game by the run (which I would probably agree with), we had more rushing yards in this game than USC, Florida, and LSU won their National Championships while holding OU to 71 total rushing yards and a 1.8 ypc.

 

What impressed me was that the offensive line got progressively better and more dominant throughout the game. They absolutely caved the Oklahoma defensive line on one of those late touchdowns. Whether by run or short passes, you have to have an offensive line that can establish dominance and control the ball for extended drives. That's what Texas did. It's no accident that the big run came late in the game... Oklahoma could not stand up to the pounding for four quarters.

If the Texas offensive line continues to get better and wear down opponents, they will be tough to beat. If you look at past NCAA champs, inevitably the team with the best offensive line wins and the advantage is, I think, more easily seen when the teams are roughly equal overall.

 

Haha, "when we win in six days". Pretty bold no? Alabama not a serious contender? That's news to me.

You may not want to hear this, but Daniel is going to get a big taste of Orakpo and Kindle this Saturday. It's not going to be pretty. I hope it'll be a good game, but Texas' superior defense will give them the win. The rankings don't mean anything. UT just beat a really good OU team. Major confidence booster that could carry them throughout the season.

LOL pretty ironic coming from a Texas Tech fan. EVERY year your team finds away to lose games you shouldn't lose because of your terrible defense. Last few years, K-State and A&M have been a thorn on UT's side. But this year, we don't play K-State, and A&M is total garbage. What doesn't change is we find a way to beat Tech and OK State. Could this be the year it finally changes?

 

It's bold, but I've never been one not to be bold.

Realistically, I think it's a tossup. OU has a better defense than Missouri, that's for sure. However, I also think Missouri poses more matchup problems for Texas in terms of scheme than Oklahoma did. Maclin, Coffman and Alexander are more talented (if healthy, which certainly is a ? in the case of Maclin/Alexander) than their Oklahoma counterparts.

Also, from watching Texas, I think they're actually weaker against a horizontal passing scheme than they are a vertical. It's not that the Horns lack athleticism or talent in the secondary. What they lack on some occasions (though they are getting better) is instinct, and it showed several times with bubble screens and crossing routes where OU confused them. That's the kind of system Missouri thrives in, and combine that with slightly better athletes at the skill positions and I like our chances.

With that said, given UT's momentum and with the game in Austin, of course I acknowledge we could lose. But I'm a fan first and foremost, and from that standpoint, it's hard for me to imagine this team not being good enough to be in the national title mix come late November. Obviously we have to win on Saturday for that to happen.

 

You have to know that Muschamp's mouth is watering while watching the film and seeing the oklahoma state defense dominate missouri all over the field.

 

Oh sorry. Ya you need 50pts a game to appreciate football. Big 12 can keep on bringing Art Briles and Leach, and whoever else. Me, I am gonna go watch some real football.

 

Or if you actually watched the game, and saw balls bounce off the hands of wide open receivers for interceptions, the Missouri coaching staff inexplicably choose to attempt a field goal from the one-foot line, Jeremy Maclin playing far under 100 percent, and Chase Daniel forcing throws (while not under pressure) that he normally would not make.

Oklahoma State is a very good team, but Missouri took about 20 points off the scoreboard by completely self-inflicted mistakes that had nothing to do with the opponent. If they have those points, they score 40, win the game against a good opponent and the framing is very different.

(With that said, Missouri had these same self-inflicted errors against Buffalo, and I don't think anyone would argue that Buffalo's defense "dominated" Missouri. It's self-inflicted. And yes, the fact that our offense has done this in 2 of the past 3 games does concern me greatly. But it has little to do with the opposing defenses and everything to do with our own players needing to pull their heads out of their collective asses. I'm hoping this is the weekend that happens.)

 

You know, for a more immediate comparison, why don't you compare what happened when Arkansas played Texas with when they played Auburn. Real football, or simply inept offenses?

 

I haven't gone through this whole thread but I saw somewhere where people actually believe that Texas Tech, yes Texas Tech, would beat Alabama??!! Are you people high? For real?? You can't be serious!! LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!

For the record, I can see Texas and even OU beating Bama but nobody else in the Big 12 beating them and definitely not a team that has always used their system to beat up on creampuffs and weaklings. TTU hasn't seen a defense like Alabama's. And yes I know that they struggled to beat Kentucky but that is what Alabama does. When they are good, really good (and trust me they are that this year), they have some games where they sorta sleepwalk through it. I have followed college football close to 30 years and that is what they are known to do (Penn State is another that does that when they are really good - barely getting by teams that they should mop the field with).

Alabama has 2 hard games left - LSU and the SEC Championship Game (sorry but Auburn doesn't count). I see them being undefeated and playing whoever comes out of the Big 12 which looks like right now it is Texas. And this is coming from a Georgia fan and someone who despises Alabama, but the Tide is very good this year and to say that they would lose to Texas Tech, Missouri, and Oklahoma State really leaves me speechless. I can see possibly losing to Texas and OU, but those other 3 teams?? I know the board is going to have a Big 12 bias to it but let's show a little sanity.

 

I guess the 51 points Florida scored against LSU proves your point?

 

Except in college football, the ability to dominate with the run isn't really a factor like it is in the pros. Especially with the continued growth of the spread & pass-happy offenses, along with so many teams using 3-yard passes as a replacement for the running game. There's probably a bigger correlation with passing and defense than running when it comes to winning conferences and championships these days.