The next two Saturday nights have great potential to those of us who really love some college football. Texas A&M Open their season this Saturday at Clemson, in one of the most difficult enviornments to play in, and then the following Saturday, the Texas Longhorns roll in to Ohio State for another prime time road test that is next to impossible. In both cases, the point spread may favor the road team from this great state, but in both cases, the astute football fan will likely brace for early season disappointment.
I was asked several times who I have winning the Big 12 in the last few weeks, and while I do not pretend to follow the North at all, I do have some thoughts on the South before this season gets going too far.
Today, let’s start with the Aggies, I think their season sets up fairly well if they can win that game Saturday night. The trouble is, without so much as a tune up, it is really risky to take this game. The last time they were playing for real was a very forgettable morning at the Cotton Bowl. No one can accuse the Aggies of going Texas Tech on us (incredibly soft schedule in 2005), and actually, they could have used a nice 1-AA opening game rather than a trip to Death Valley. But, their schedule is what it is, and therefore they can begin a season with a stiff test to start their road.
Aside from Reggie McNeal hype, which is well deserved when you consider his TD to INT ratio, and overall production, there is Martellus Bennett hype (by the way, yesterday, he was listed as the 2nd or 3rd TE on the Aggie depth chart. This guy is a TE/basketball combo that has had Aggies talking his greatness up since signing day. All I can say, is given his quotes, he better be good. The usual questions in College Station under Coach Fran remain again in 2005. Can they get good performance from the OL? And, can the defense hold up its end of the bargain? If they can, the Aggies can compete near the top of the conference, but…
So much has been made of their schedule, and perhaps rightfully so. A trip to Lubbock, Norman (read: 77-0), and Boulder, Manhattan AND Clemson make for a tough road. On the other hand, good teams can win those games.
I think the Aggies will go 8-3, and finish 3rd in the South (it will be tough to finish 3rd in the North - despite the fact I originally typed it). So, since College Football fans can’t help themselves, Aggies fans, you now can complain that I don’t respect you, and Aggies Haters, you can now write that I over-rate them. Ah, yes. College Football season.
Links:
Wilbon on Football, the great healer …By the way, not that anyone comes to this blog to hear about the hurricane, but I cannot put into words how amazingly sad the aftermath makes me. It sounds disingenuous, I know, to hear a media guy act like he has been affected by a tragedy, but I swear, I can’t get memories of New Orleans out of my head, along with sympathy for those who now live in a world that we should all hope to never experience. The ocean is not to be screwed with. Nor, lived by, I guess…
Cowboys talk to Peerless Price …He does very little for me as a franchise WR, but it is tough to argue that he wouldn’t really help this offense…
“I think he’s a pretty good player,” Parcells said of Price, who caught a career-high 94 passes for 1,252 yards and nine touchdowns while playing with then Bills quarterback Drew Bledsoe in 2002. “We’re just trying to turn over every rock.”
Price, 28, became available after two disappointing seasons in Atlanta, where he caught 109 passes for 1,413 yards and six touchdowns in two seasons.
Moore on the Finley shocker …All of my worst fears have come true. Mark Cuban will now pay Michael Finley to stick it up the Mavericks rear. This one will hurt, I think. If you thought the Spurs were significantly better than the Mavericks (which they were), how do you feel after they add bench players like Finley and Nick, the Quick, and another international product that is supposed to be pretty solid? I thought so.
Whitmire with a Big 12 preview …
Aggies release depth chart for opener …
Yesterday, the Sturm vacation Texas tour took us to Fossil Rim in Glen Rose. I have to tell you, it was really cool. You drive your Nissan Pathfinder through this huge nature reserve, and thousands of animals roam free and basically walk up to your vehicle looking for a snack. Deer, Zebra, Antelope, Ostrich (who have left my daughter forever terrified), Bison, Emu, and the main attraction, the Giraffe. We put our food on the sun-roof, and the Giraffe would walk right over to the truck and eat the food off the glass, while we were inside amazed at how cool the whole event was. Sure, it is a long drive (about 1:45 from Lewisville) and sure, the kids and wife get tired after a while, but if you love a cool experience, this rates pretty high. What made it really solid is that you never had to get out of your truck if you didn’t want to, so air-conditioning joined you the whole day.
I may or may not add more links today as the day goes on, but that is all for now…
27 comments:
This summer, BaD goes on vacation and the Rangers lose 11 of 12, Kenny explodes and steroid testing starts taking it's first victims.
This week, BaD Radio goes on vacation and a category 5 hurricane wipes out the Gulf Coast.
Bob doesn't blog yesterday, then over-rates or under-rates the Aggies today. Suddenly looters start shooting at rescue helicopters, the Astrodome sees its first sell-out in 10 years and Finley signs with a division rival.
Coincedence?
Go Bearcats
Bob, quickly change the "Aggies will go 8-3, and finish 3rd in the NORTH" to South... Hurry.
wow- thanks, dude. Fixed it. Not sure what I have been smoking.
Hey Bob
I think your crazy to predict the Ags to be 3rd in the North, they are clearly the best team of the bunch. Oh wait they're in the South. Sorry, I was compelled to start the dogpile.
I love you
Norm
Fossil Rim? Wasn't it Hot? Everytime i've been there the animals lay on there arses in the shade and give a big FU to me and my SUV.
Fossil Rim at what, $15 a person or somesuch, plus all the gas to get down there and drive a Pathfinder around for the afternoon and look at animals. I'd like to see that contract.
My loyalty is with Texas Tech, but Tech is getting way too much hype/credit this year. We have the same virus as A&M in that every year we have high expectations, we fail to perform. As a matter of fact, I think UT might have a slight case of the same disease this year.
Mike Leach is a caricature of himself and I'm not real sure he doesn't self-medicate before games. He & his teams are entertaining though.
Oh well, San Antonio is nice in December.
By the way, wonder where North Texas State will play it's bowl game this year.
UT might have a slight case of overhype/underperform **THIS** year??
Hasn't that been par for UT for a number of years?
CollegeDip
Dan
thanks for the NTSU dig. There is talks of the Ind Bowl being a destination. They wanted us last year, however we did not want to appear as though NO wasn't good enough for the conf championship
Plus maybe we can get to another bowl. without LSU on our schedule the only tough game is Kstate maybe a nice 9-1 for us
Fake Sturm, if A&M is undefeated going into Lubbock, think Top 5 genius.
It is going to be delicious watching the whorns implode this year as Vince continues to shotput the ball right to the linebackers.
H.S.O.
Mavs won't need to worry about the Spurs or Suns ousting Dallas out of the playoffs because the Mavs aren't going to the playoffs this year. This is based on cycles that Dallas goes through. In the mid 80's the big three of Harper, Aquire, and Blackman almost but not quite good enough. They eventually broke them up. The 90's the next gen big three of Jackson, Kidd, and Mashburn. Overhyped and never worked well together. Busted up. And now the 2000's have seen the deterioation of the newest Big Three.
Dallas sucks until the 2010's next big three. There's three eight graders out there who are destined to be the next Big Three.
Allow me to debunk Anonymous' HSO on the Mavs:
In short, you're high. And your logic is terribly flawed. The difference between now and those instances are we still have this guy named Dirk, who is pretty good...
We may not be contenders this year, but we're certainly not going to "suck".
We lost Fin and replaced him with Christie. If he's healthy that's a wash at worst.
Gimme a break.
Sturm ---
About Martellus Bennett - the much-hyped Aggie TE...
You posted a link in the SA paper about Fran's releasing A&M's 'depth chart' and the article emphasized the quotes. Fran said that Clemson is not going to know who they are lining up - i.e. the 'depth chart' is bunk.
So, in the tradition of over-hyping unproven recruits, Bennett is probably not the Aggies 3rd string TE - more than likely he will be starting in my opinion.
Dirk better show something this year. Things that bug me about Dirk Nowitzki :
1. How can anyone hail the greatness of a 7-footer who can't play post defense or doesn't have an offensive post game that's worth a crap!. And he's three-point sucked last year. So we have a 7-footer who can hit a mid-range shot. Oh, I'm scared.
2. 2003 playoff series - he should have gone back in game six against San Antonio in the Western Confernce finals. He was a pus-- for not even giving it a try on his bum knee or ankle or whatever. These are the playoff, Baby!
3. He was not really a big factor in last year's playoff run. Basically a weak ace Ryan Bowen took you out of the series, rendering you powerless. Oh the great German, greatest blonde since Bird. Whatever, overated!
4. Temper tantrums last year. Fake wannabe leader. (Translated from German) "Dampier, you suck! Jason Terry, you suck." No, big crying German, you suck when it really counts!
Disco
Hey fake sturm,
When you have to beg and cry and pout your way into the rose bowl because you had a few shaky wins (arkansas, kansas) and lost to oklahoma AGAIN (despite having "one of the best recruiting classes" year after year), I'd say it was a disspointment when compared to the hype.
11-1 with a number of close calls that could have easily landed you 9-3 when you expect to be a strong 11-1 or 13-0 = dissappointment
11-1 if you're Mutli-directional trade school = great year.
have fun with you blinders, fake sturm.
collegeDip
Time to crank up "Good Riddance" by Green Day for Finley. Maybe now he can spare the Spurs to death.
The comments section has been taken over by idiots today. The angry Aggie, the bitter Mavs fan, and the Fin basher are all emotional and irrational in their opinions. The Longhorns are not the chokers that Aggies say, aren't as good as the hype either. The Mavs are solid. They won't contend for the title, but they don't suck. They are a playoff team. Fin wasn't a spare, but he also wasn't worth $102M (salary + luxury tax). He is well worth the money the Spurs are paying and will fill a nice roll on that team. The Spurs will repeat. I'll be happy to see Fin get a ring.
F the Spurs
F the Aggies
F the haters
CollegeDip
A win is a win is a win, period! Against any Big 12 team, a win is all that matters, close or blowout doesn't really matter.
But you are right 11-1 would be a great year for that Texas trade school known as Texas Agricultural and Mechanical.
Texas, USC, Michigan, OU, Miami, Florida State, etc all expect to go undefeated every year. It is part of being an elite program. ATM has not been there is some time. I would much rather be a fan of Texas or OU and be dissapointed with 11-1 and a BCS bowl, than happy with a 7-5 season saying we'll get 'em next year 'cause coach Fran will get us there in year 3! OU and Texas own the Ags. You will always be Texas' second school, I wish the Ags would just learn to live with it. At least you aren't Tech.
http://www.petitiononline.com/outhicks/
Everyone please sign the Out with Tom Hicks petition....
Much appretiated...
"Shaky" wins against Arkansas and Kansas are better than losses to Baylor!
Good Point
Dirk Hater:
1. dirk has a decent post up game, and is much more than "a mid range jump shooter". The dude made first team all-nba last year. He was utterly dominant in the regular season. You are high.
2.Dirk TRIED to come back during that series. Nellie wouldn't let him. This is well documented. Dirk is anythign but a puss. Remember the year before when he played after losing two teeth to an elbow against the Spurs.
3. He was still a big factor this year's playoffs. He certainly was not as dominant as one would like, but he was still a huge factor.
4. Dirk has been chastized constantly before last year to show more emotion and be more vocla. Then he does and morons like you chastize him for THAT.
Dirk still has some things to prove, but he's not a spare, he has more than a "mid range jump shot", and he will lead the Mavs to the playoffs yet again.
Where do these people come from anyway?
Dear Sensitive Taint UT people,
Sorry to burst your speculative, off target bubbles, But I am not an ATM fan. Didn't school there, don't root for them.
Funny how I never said ATM was better, could beat UT, or had even lived up to its own hype. In fact, I didn't say anything about them at all.
Sure, Kansas is a big 12 school, but so is baylor, so what does that mean... would you be proud to beat baylor by the same margin you beat Kansas? Burn. (better than getting beat I admit)
All I said was that UT hadn't lived up to it's own hype in recent years (as Buddah agreed). I didn't say they were disgrace or not a good program.
The fact that UT fans are so overeager to deny that UT hadn't lived up to its own hype only confirms that I'm right.
But if it helps any, it's not like the school I pull for lived up to it's billing last year either (UMiami).
So if anyone would like to continue to call me an aggie, I guess I can't stop you, but if you want to continue to be an overly senstive human embodiment of your favorite college football team, I'll be glad to pull out my UM schlong and compare recent national titles with your UT schlong.
Otherwise, let it go as a simple observation about a freaking game and cheer for your orange boys to make me look stupid.
CollegeDip
since Bob brought up A&M's schedule, I believe A&M was going to play Florida State this year too. we had them scheduled and everything but the 'noles backed out after their conference realignment. Texas State was the only ones flexible enough to add in their place. But that would have been a brutal non-conf schedule - Clemson and Fla St. not quite as bad as last year's (Utah and Clemson).
oops...meant to say worse than last years. it's late. Gig 'Em and Beat the Hell outta Clemson.
hope your daughter did not have an experience such that i had when i was 2. I'm 22 now and still have a scar from where an ostrich bit my hand as i tried to feed it. the 'big chicken' as i called it, wouldn't let go and my dad had to get out of the car a beat the bird. still not comfortable around birds to this day.
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