You're thinking media, duke. Also, as far as "most overhyped", I'd like to see these expectations that he has fallen short of. He hasn't done significantly less or more than most top players in high school classes. It's just that the average fan puts the realistic expectations (even for #1 prospects) completely out of reach because of his name. The original comment was meant among UT students and Texas fans in general, not the media.
I thinK Tommie Harris with his three solo tackles thus far this season is the most overrated player "ever".
precisely... i'm talking about amongst the Texas alumni and students with whom I've conversed about Simms over the past 4 years. The overwhelming majority think he is a lousy piece of **** that should have gone to Tennessee and only came here b/c of some underhanded deal his daddy made with Mack Brown. It seems as if "hating Simms" is a hobby that people can list on their resume around these parts. The media is on the opposite spectrum... much of them praise him as if he were the second freakin' coming! then there are the people at hornfans.com... don't EVEN get me started on them!
since UT fans like to make excuses, I think I'll try it. He's injured. Hmm, where have you heard that? He's going to be a pilot.....
I like the Sooners in this game, although most sportsbooks have UT as a 3-point favorite. I was at the UT/OSU game last weekend and UT was 20 yards and a field goal away from *losing*. OU's defense will smother them, give the Sooners a short field on offense, and will create turnovers. Simms just does not get it done in the big games. on a side note, I saw Vincent Young standing next to Roy Williams on the sidelines, and Young dwarfs him. He is a specimen.
hey mduke, i see that you're my sole competition in the yahoo college sports pick'em league... and we're tied!
UT is favored by 2.5 in this game... haven't seen one book to have them the underdog. Oh, and OU was a fake field goal away from *losing* to Missouri. UT's defense will smother OU's terrible offense, give the Longhorns a short field on offense, and create turnovers. Nate Hybl does not get it done in big games. (there's just as much evidence for this as anything you said)
You are exactly right, Cat about the line. My opinion is at least objective, however. I'm neither a Sooner nor Longhorn fan. UT has had difficulty putting together solid drives on offense against a very weak schedule. The Horns have a very difficult stretch coming up, where if they don't correct things, they could easily lose 3-4 games against teams like OU, K-State, Nebraska, Tech, and A&M. Next year's schedule is much more favorable for them, with the exception of playing the mighty Rice Owls in Houston.
Did it ever occur to you that UT might have overlooked OSU, and been thinking ahead to OU? OU was a fluke shovel pass drive made by Renaldo Works from losing at home to Alabama? And almost got beat by an avg Missou team last week? does that not count as well? Furthermore, OU's defense is not as good as last years version(no Williams or Calmus), and our entire offense returns sans Mike Willliams, plus we are starting Benson. As far as Simms in big games, do Washington, CU at home, at A&M, at home vs A&M, UO-When he should've won if we don't drop 3 straight td's, count? Or is it just CU Title game and OU last year that you remember? Selective memory is not a good thing. Texas will win this year and it shouldn't be close if Davis calls a good game.
don't know how many saw this on ESPN.com today: Simms' last chance to change legacy -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Mark Wangrin Special to ESPN.com Texas is loaded with good old-fashioned quarterback heroes, guys who persevered, overachieved or otherwise schemed to lead the Longhorns to big wins over rival Oklahoma. There was Peter Gardere, who was 4-0 against Sooner teams that were favored in every one of those games. There was James Brown, who stepped in for an injured Shea Morenz in 1994 and -- unencumbered by expectations -- led the Longhorns to a stunning win. There was Randy McEachern, who entered the 1977 game as a third-teamer and exited on the shoulders of his teammates. Now there is Chris Simms, whose current Texas-OU legacy as a starter includes four interceptions, one loss and a Red River full of broken hearts. He'd like to change that. If he can. "This is a huge game for him,'' said former Texas receiver Keith Cash, who was on the receiving end of one of Gardere's game-winning touchdown passes against the Sooners. "This can make his legacy, finally beating OU." Simms, a player who's introspective and grounded beyond his years, would normally mull the legacy question and produce an insightful answer. This week he didn't even bite. "I haven't thought about that. It's something I haven't really worried about,'' he said. "I'm excited to be part of the game. I'll worry about (my legacy) when the time comes." For right or wrong, Texas players are judged by what they did against Oklahoma, a verdict as clear as the line that separates the burnt orange from the crimson in the Cotton Bowl stands. Gardere, who led the Longhorns on a national title run that ended in a Cotton Bowl rout at the hands of Miami on New Year's Day 1991, said he gets recognized for one reason -- his record against OU. "That's all they bring up,'' he said. "That's great. You hate to be forgotten." Simms, the left-handed son of former New York Giants All-Pro and Super Bowl MVP Phil Simms, won't be forgotten, it's just unclear how he'll be remembered. Last year he threw four interceptions, at least two of which came in the final minutes and can be written off to circumstances. He got hit on the goal line by safety Roy Williams and the ball popped into linebacker Teddy Lehman's hands for the game-breaking touchdown. Forced to go for the big play, his next pass was picked off by Williams. Most people remember the number four rather than the circumstances. "I felt like I played pretty good," he said of the game. "I gave the offense chances and I was a pretty good leader." Texas coach Mack Brown, as staunch a defender of Simms as there is, said that this year his quarterback, who has thrown three interceptions, has had only one poor throw, one that should have been intercepted against Houston. "Other than that,'' Brown said. "He's been perfect." Simms spent the offseason concentrating on ball security. As he drops back he holds the ball with two hands so he won't fumble as easily. In the first game this year, against North Texas, he took six sacks rather than force an interception. "He's come to some of the same conclusions as I have,'' Brown said, "that the game is bigger than we are." Sooners co-defensive coordinator Mike Stoops, whose usually fingered as the culprit any time an unnamed opposing coach is quoted as disparaging Simms' game, was mostly complimentary in public remarks this week. "Chris has a great feel for what we like to do defensively,'' Stoops said. "He throws the ball number to number (hashmark to hashmark) as well as anybody." Then he added, "We did a pretty good job taking the middle away from him last year." "People want to comment that we're not sincere,'' said his brother Bob, the Sooners head coach. "We don't lie. We tell what we feel. I thought he's been good the last couple of years." If Simms should fail to beat OU in his last shot at the Sooners, he sounds as if he'll be at peace. He already says he is with his Texas career and the criticism he's attracted. "I'm not going to go into hiding,'' he said. "You've got to go on with your life." Right now that life revolves around winning the big game and his last shot at being a Texas icon that stands as tall as Big Tex, the 52-foot talking cowboy that greats visitors to the adjacent Texas State Fair. "I've got friends back home in New Jersey who probably aren't very happy with me because I haven't called them in a while,'' he said. "That's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. There'll be time for that after the year. Right now I'm focusing on being the quarterback of this team." And everything that comes with it.
I would never, ever, ever pick Team A to beat Team B based on how closely Team C played Team B. That has absolutely nothing to do with anything. UT looked like **** against Oklahoma State, but that game was 60 minutes long and it ended three days ago. That has no bearing on how Texas will play this weekend. It's totally reasonable to pick OU to beat Texas for a lot of reasons-- I just don't think that particular one is one of them. Hell, last year Texas absolutely steamrolled Texas Tech the week before the OU game, and we saw how well that harbinger worked out.
Maybe. Kansas State and Nebraska come here next year, and Iowa State won't have Seneca Wallace. We do have to go to Texas A&M, but a) we won there last year, and b) next year is a serious drop-off for the Aggies.
Wow, Chris gets credit for Washington? Maybe Hybl should get credit for the National Championship......
Everyone has different definitions for a big game. My definition is ranked opponent. In the last two years (01-02), Texas has been 16-2...Simms has started all but 1 game. Simms is: 14-0: vs unranked 1-2: vs. ranked --- 0-2: vs. top 10
I consider rivalry games a big game. If you ask ATM or OU fans/ players if there were one game on their schedule that you want to win the most, most would respond with Texas. Actually, everyone with UT on their schedule would say that. Anyways, you get my point. Saw Tommie against Mizzou. Looked quick and explosive, but once an OL gets their hands on Tommie, it's over.
IMO, rivalry games are not big games unless both teams are ranked. NCAA 2003 considers Texas vs. Baylor a rivalry game. Would you consider it a big game?
