TLOS Preview: #9 Texas
By C.G. Morelli
Love of Sports Correspondent
(Starting August 1st, The Love of Sports began featuring one college football program each day, breaking down their offense, defense and - most importantly - their food, beverage, cheerleaders, tailgating prowess and all-around campus life! That’s because those are the things we value here the most. College football is all about the atmosphere, and that’s exactly what we’ll give you all season long!)
Today’s Preview: Texas Longhorns
TLOS Preseason Rank: #9
TLOS Predicted Record: 10-3
2007 Record: 10-3
Returning Lettermen: 44
To me, the word “football” is synonymous with the word “Texas.” For millions of fans in Austin, the feeling’s mutual. That’s why, two disappointing seasons removed from Vince Young’s heroics in the 2005 BCS Championship Game, Longhorn Nation is ready for the season to get started.
But after losing some top quality talent to the NFL, the big question will be whether they can compete with the heavy hitters in an extremely talent-rich Big 12. Coach Mack Brown seems to think his youngsters will step up to the plate in a big way and follow the veteran’s lead.
As an outsider, however, it’s hard to look past the loss of star wideout Limas Sweed, who was drafted by the Steelers. Other key losses include steady RB Jamaal Charles, WRs Nate Jones and Jermichael Finley and CB Marcus Griffin, who led the team in tackles last year, with 99.
The Offense
What Texas really seems to have going for them is the return of veteran quarterback Colt McCoy. Besides having the perfect name for a Texas QB, he threw for 3,303 yards and 22 TDs last year in leading the Horns to an eventual win over Arizona State in the Holiday Bowl. He’ll still have Quan Cosby and Jordan Shipley running routes for him, but no Sweed and no Jones, which could definitely hurt him in the red zone.
Behind McCoy is the very capable John Chiles. Brown said he plans to utilize both QBs as he did last year and even said he’s designed some packages that’ll get both on the field simultaneously. Are we talking the A-11 here? I doubt it, but I’m still excited to see what Brown has in store.
The biggest hit to the offense was the loss of Charles, who racked up over 1,500 yards and 18 TDs on the ground last year. In his place will be the very talented, but vastly unproven, tandem of Vondrell McGee and Forsitt Whittaker. Brown’s system has been a RB producer in the past, though, so look for these two to get the wheels churning early and raise some eyebrows.
The Defense
The D’s really the soft spot of this Longhorn team. Last season, it was an Achilles’ heel, especially in the secondary where teams dropped over 3,600 passing yards on them. This year, Brown brought in high profile defensive coordinator, Will Muschaamp, to make his defense “meaner.”
Muschaamp will look to improve the tackling of the front seven (the secondary led the team in tackles a year ago, never a good thing) and work to make senior DT Roy Miller into the All-Big 12 linemen he’s capable of being. He’ll get some help plugging holes from star LB Rashad Bobino and DE Brian Orakpo. The Longhorns will also rely heavily on senior CB Ryan Palmer and a bevy of underclassmen to get the secondary rolling in the right direction this fall.
The Schedule
The Horns should be able to get the ball rolling quickly with creampuffs at home against Florida Atlantic and then at UTEP the first two weeks. They’ll face their first real test at home against Arkansas in Week 3. The Razorbacks are unranked going into the season, but Texas can’t get complacent, because Arkansas can play some ball. If they can snatch a win at home they’ll face a very beatable Rice team the following week with a chance to start the season 4-0.
But that’s when things really start to heat up. The gauntlet officially begins for Texas on October 4th at Colorado. The Buffalos are unranked on TLOS’s preseason poll, but the environment and elevation at Folsom Stadium is anything but inviting to visitors. With back to back Big 12 matchups looming, the Horns can’t afford to lose this game.
Next, Texas heads to the neutral confines of the Cotton Bowl to face off against heated rivals, and preseason Big 12 favorites, Oklahoma in the Red River Shootout (that’s right, I’m still calling it that - so sue me). With over 100 contests between the two schools, and a whole heap of bad blood throughout the years, this one is always a can’t miss.
Oh, and after all that, they get a home game. Unfortunately, it’s against preseason national champion contender Missouri, who returns 15 starters from a team that finished just millimeters away from a berth in last year’s BCS Championship Game.
If the Longhorns can somehow endure this nightmare of a three-game stretch, they’re unceremoniously “rewarded” with away games at Kansas and Texas Tech. Woven in between are slightly easier contests against Oklahoma State and Baylor until they close out the season at home against in-state rival Texas A & M. Sheesh. Is it just me, or is the guy who makes the UT schedule just a little bit out of his gourd?
Season Outlook
One positive in playing a very tough schedule is that it typically makes your team hardened and ready to compete when bowl season rolls around. Of course, that only works if your team can string together enough wins find itself bowl eligible.
Mack Brown enters his 11th season with the Horns, holding a sparkling record of 103-25 and a winning percentage of .805. This year’s team is probably riding the coattails of last year’s squad as far as rankings are concerned. It’s a young team, especially on defense. But it has leaders, like McCoy and LB Rashad Bobino, who’ll help the youngsters stay together and make plays.
I don’t see the Horns pulling off an undefeated season by any stretch of the imagination. With a shortage of experience in their secondary, I think they might hit a few bumps in the road. But I also think they may surprise a whole lot of people. If Texas can somehow knock off Big 12 rivals Missouri and Oklahoma in consecutive weeks, you better believe the talk of a national championship will start to run rampant in Austin.
A Bold Prediction
The Longhorns will ruin OU’s season by avenging a heartbreaking 28-21 loss to the Sooners in last year’s Red River Shootout. They’ll walk out of the Cotton Bowl on October 11th with the Golden Hat firmly in hand, ready to take it home to the Lone Star State.
The Stadium
Royal-Memorial Stadium, which opened in 1923, recently underwent a $176 million renovation and facelift that increased seating to more than 90,000 for the upcoming season. That’s 6,000 more screaming Texans wearing burnt-orange t-shirts for opposing teams to deal with.
Longhorn students, fans and alumni swarm the student section and can be seen standing the entire game on a set of bleachers behind the south end zone. Waving gently on the breeze above them are the famous Six Flags of Texas, which represent the six nations that claimed power over the state in the course of its lifespan.
Of course, fans boast that Texas has the biggest Jumbotron in college football. They call it the Godzillatron, and though it’s not the largest screen of its kind in the world, the monster-sized screen sure helps fans review some of the more controversial calls in any given game. And they’re not afraid to let the refs know when old Godzillatron’s shown them something that doesn’t exactly jive with the call on the field. With 90,000 voices going strong, I’m sure most officials would agree: don’t mess with Texas.
The Atmosphere
Tailgating: It’s no wonder Texas was ranked #10 on a 2007 four-letter network poll of the greatest places to tailgate. The entire campus transforms itself into one giant party on Saturday mornings. The student body, alumni and fans deck themselves out in the obligatory UT pregame attire: orange t-shirts and shorts for the guys; orange t-shirts, denim cowgirl skirts and boots for the ladies.
Then everyone bounces rabidly from tent to tent and tailgate to tailgate consuming frosty beverages regularly until they reach the stadium. The familiar tune to “The Eyes of Texas” rings out periodically from random pockets of fans all over campus. With all the activity on typical Saturday morning at UT, it’s amazing anyone even shows up for the game.
Traditions: If it’s Saturday and you’re in Austin, chances are someone within 10 feet of you is singing “The Eyes of Texas” and holding up the Hook ‘Em Horns sign as we speak. These are clearly the most obvious UT traditions to an outsider. However, there are a few more subtle ones.
There’s Bevo, the Longhorn mascot, who’s been lazily sleeping behind the South end zone at every home game since 1966. There’s also the unfurling of the world’s largest Texas state flag, measuring around 45 yards in length. And, of course, there’s Smoky the Cannon, who’s been firing 10 gauge shells after every Longhorn touchdown since what seems like the beginning of time.
Where to Get Good Eats: It’s always hard to stay away from live music when you’re in Austin. Then again, I’m sure not too many people try to do something so stupid … not even while they’re eating dinner. That’s why so many Austinites head over to Stubb’s Barbecue to kick back with a few racks of spicy, pit roasted ribs and listen to bands play on the same stage where Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan made routine appearances.
If you’re looking for a place that’s a bit less country, try The Continental Club on Congress Avenue. Here you can enjoy martinis, frosty Longhorn beers and tasty bar fare while listening to live rock, rock-a-billy and new wave.
After the Game: When you’re tired of flashing Hook ‘Em signs and drunkenly slurring the words to “The Eyes of Texas,” head over to Sixth Street in downtown Austin for one of the country’s most eclectic stretches of musical venues. Only in Austin can you walk a length of street and hear the twangy tunes of rock-a-billy blowing from an open door on one side of the street and the pulsing beats of techno blasting from a rooftop club on the other side. Plus, you never know when you might catch an act from an up and coming superstar. Remember, this is the same street that led Janis Joplin and Stevie Ray Vaughan straight to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Famous Alumni
Laura Bush – First Lady of the United States
Lady Bird Johnson – Former First Lady
Michael Dell – Founder and CEO of Dell Computers
Janis Joplin – Rock & Roll Hall of Famer
Jayne Mansfield – Actress, ‘50s sex symbol
Farrah Fawcett – Actress, Charlie’s Angels, The Cannonball Run
Matthew McConaughey – Actor, Dazed and Confused, Time To Kill, We Are Marshall
Roger Clemens – Seven-time Cy Young Award winner
Mary Lou Retton – Olympic gold medal gymnast
Walter Cronkite – Legendary TV anchorman
Tom Landry – Hall of Fame coach of the Dallas Cowboys
Shameless Cheerleader Pics
PREVIOUS PREVIEWS
#25 - Fresno State Bulldogs
#24 - Penn State Nittany Lions
#23 - Oregon Ducks
#22 - Arizona State Sun Devils
#21 - Michigan Wolverines
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#16 - Virginia Tech Hokies
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#14 - Kansas Jayhawks
#13 - Tennessee Volunteers
#12 - Wisconsin Badgers
#11 - Auburn Tigers
#10 - Missouri Tigers
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