The difference of the impact of a top 10 pick DT and the impact of a top 20 pick DT will be minimal at best. The falloff between any DT in the country and Wright is very little, and I consider Okam the best tackle on the team. If you think Robison is average to below average, you don't watch Texas football. The guy is an absolute playmaker, and a lot of people probably consider him our most consistent D-linemen. If you think Oregon's line is as good as Texas', well...I simply don't know how to argue your points(Draft projections...who cares?). The Texas DL dominates the line of scrimmage every game and is extremely deep. If you really think that Oregon's line is as good as Texas', then we'll have to agree to disagree, but I would appreciate if you avoided the homer tag. The vastly superior thing probably doesn't apply in this case, but the quality of the two lines still isn't comparable.
Robbie, don't you work in a stock market related field? Tell me, how are prices of stocks set? Buy what others will pay for the stock? What is typically the valuation method of choice in mergers/acquisitions of companies? Ever heard of market comps? They're what others are paying. Why have the presidential futures markets (futures exchanges) correctly predicted the past two election results and polls have been inaccurate? Hmm... It's an excellent way to evaluate things.
Could you explain this to me? I thought since USC was favored, Texas just had to lose by less than 8, or win outright to beat the spread. I seriously don't know much about betting, I'm not being sarcastic.
The spread is -8 USC. Texas can beat the spread if they lose by only 7. In order to win the football game, Texas will need to beat the spread by 9 points.
I think UT will come out hot and get up by more than a TD early in the game. At the half USC comes out and takes control of the game. USC wins by 3-7 points.
These are all opinion statements, can you see that? A fan of a team making favorable comparison statements about that team -- isn't that the definition of homerism? I have watched Brian Robison get absolutely torched by running backs running around the end on his side for the past two years. Heck, last year, OU put in that counter pitch play where they flipped it to Peterson, and attacked Robison virtually every series. He is very slow to change directions. I think he is easily the weak link on the Texas d-line. Texas' d-line is also very susceptible to the option, something we saw against Texas A&M and early against Colorado. The ends play big roles in defensing that play. Again, Robison got smoked. Considering that USC has the best running back in the nation at getting to the edge, this situation is worrisome for Texas. Haloti Ngata was one of three finalists for the Outland Trophy this season, the award for best interior lineman. Were any Texas players chosen for this? No. It's not just me saying that Oregon's d-line is great, several publications tabbed Oregon's d-line as one of the best in the country. To say that Texas' d-line is vastly superior to them is simply untrue. USC's offensive line will match up favorably to Texas' d-line in my opinion. Texas' strength on defense, in my opinion, is their secondary -- a secondary which will be challenged by having to defense excellent running backs, wide outs and a very good tight end.
yeah and i also work in the trading aspect of things so i see when i think things are out of control due to people getting overexcited, scared, or some guy blowing his wade on a massive buy or sell order, and so on and so forth. the stock markets daily valuations aren't very spot on and can be moved easily if a well respected analyst or investor says they are worth more....aka ESPN and USC.
I disagree. You don't have to stop Bush to win. Bush had a great game against ND and yet one play here or there and they lose. Bush had a great game against Fresno State, yet FSU had a chance to win it in the final minute. Those teams almost won despite having no defense and allowing Bush to run wild. Fresno State nearly won despite 5 turnovers. If either had a defense, who knows what might have happened.
Try to use the OU game as something to look at. Bomar had time to throw, time to execute the play action, and there was enough time to put Peterson in the deep I. Although Peterson didint play much against Texas, the OU front 5 gave Bomar tons of time, and pushed the Oregon DL back on every play. The OU OL completly dominated the trenches and that is why they were able to gradually build up thier lead. Against Texas, they had to shorten thier routes and try to spread thier offense more because the OU OL was losing the battle upfront against the Texas DL. Many times when Texas rushed 4 they got to Bomar, and i know that OU now isnt the same team that was in October, but you cant train strength in 2 months.
I hate to say it but that game meant absolutely nothing. They got robbed of a BCS berth and tumble all the way down to the freaking Holiday Bowl. Same thing happened to Cal last year. It's quite a letdown being in the national championship hunt (albeit tenuously), win all your games, finish #5 in the BCS, and get stuck in a third-rate bowl. Their #1 QB didn't play either. And if anything, Oklahoma has been playing pretty damn well. They had a lot to prove after last year's debacle against a Pac-10 team (and losing to UCLA this year btw). USC/Texas has blowout potential written all over it. Texas is already talking sh*t - just like Okla last year.
waaaah waaaah waaaah. The excuses have already started. "Letdown"... "meant nothing"... it's a no lose scenario. If Oregon wins, they prove they belonged in a BCS game... if they lose, it doesn't matter, because they didn't really care. Sure wish Texas could get a few of those games. If anything, I'd think they would be even more motivated by this supposed "slight" - go prove the selection committees wrong and validate your season with a big win over a big name opponent. Also, Texas in 2003 had a BCS bowl wrapped up... until KSU stunned OU in the Big XII game and sent Texas to the Holiday Bowl. Texas lost the Holiday Bowl, and the talk was how the Texas program is a complete joke in big games... no one dared give Texas the excuse of "they didn't really care about the game." Funny how it only applies to the Pac 10 schools. You're right, though, USC/Texas does have blowout potential written all over it. The team from the superior conference with a superior defense and superior running game is being given even more ammunition by the media's proclamation of USC as the greatest team ever before the season has even been completed.
Nebraska beat Oregon. That is an upset, a big upset. Upsets do happen. But in the long run, the sports books are right on the money more often than they are not. I'm with texx on this one, the spread is -8 and that is no toss up. USC is favored to win this game by 8 points and if they don't, then it will be an upset.
Underdogs are 4-2 straight up (not just against the spread) in BCS National Championship games (last year doesn't count since it was pick 'em). Yeah, pinning all your hopes to the select few that make bets is a real wise tactic.
superior conference? you have to be joking! superior running game? USC has two 1000 yard backs who will both go in the first round. one of them won the Heisman Trophy. And they have one of the best o-lines in the country. All this sh*t talk about the Pac-10 happened last year too. We all know what how the big, bad Big-12 champ did. The greatest Texas game ever was in 1997. They were #11 and hosted an 0-2 UCLA team. Greatest game ever.
Now there's sound logic. If it happens one year, it automatically happens the next year. Funny... that's the same thing OU fans were saying about the Texas offense heading into the second weekend of October this year. The Big XII is 3-1 in bowl games and 4-0 against the spread. They're looking like a very sound conference, as most non-media types knew all along. I don't care that USC has two 1,000 yard backs. The reality is that the Texas offense rushes for more yards per game than USC and also scores more points per game than USC. Texas also has one of the best o-lines in the country.
