Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Texas Football: The Nebraska Game
Week Eight: No. 6 Texas (6-1) at #17 Nebraska (6-1)
Last Week: Texas 63, Baylor 31; Nebraska 21, Kansas State 3
Last Meeting: 2003 -- Texas 31, Nebraska 7
All-Time Series: Texas leads 6-4
"What If" time... If Billy Pittman doesn't fumble on the 2 against Ohio State, and if Nebraska actually tries to move the ball against USC, is Saturday's game in Lincoln another No. 1 vs. No. 2 hype-fest?
No, I don't think so either. Still, it's an intriguing game between the two preseason Big XII division favorites. Surprisingly Texas has had Nebraska's number since the conference's formation, going 5-1 against the Big Red, including the memorable upset in the 1996 conference title game. Four of the six Big XII meetings have gone down the final moments, incluing both of Texas' trips to Lincoln
But this is 2006, and it's hard to predict what is going to happen. Does Texas unleash Colt McCoy against the Huskers, or does Greg Davis play it conservative? Can Nebraska's QB Zac Taylor find holes in banged-up Texas secondary? Do I spend the entire fourth quarter yelling, "Whose House? Horns House!"? (I hope so, I hope not, I really hope so).
Semi-Witty Comment about TWTWB
Both of these teams played too close to the proverbial vest in their losses this season. Both feature offenses that can pile up yards and points when clicking, but will they gameplan to do so? Nebraska still carries one of the great home field advantages in college football, but will the 11 am kickoff work to Texas' benefit? It's hard to be raucous when you just polished off your breakfast an hour ago.
Simply put: Texas wins this game if Colt McCoy continues his trend of weekly improvement. The Horns have too many weapons around him to lose focus in a big game such as this one. By the way, does anyone remember what happened that last time a freshman QB in burnt orange visited Memorial Stadium? Texas 20, Nebraska 16. I know Texas won't have Ricky Williams to rely on, but Nebraska won't have Eric Crouch either (or the 90's Blackshirts).
The Greg Brown Memorial Pregame Premonition
Have I even gotten close on one of these yet this season? Let's start this week: Colt McCoy breaks open the game with a play-action seamer to Jermichael Finley for six.
Personal Anecdote Involving This Week's Opponent
1. Texas' one conference loss to Nebraska came on the day I graduated from college. I skipped commencement to watch the game, much to my parents' dismay. I think Matt and I got drunk three times that day, the second two to drown the sorrows of a 22-6 conference title game loss.
2. When Mike Jones stumbled his way to the game-winning TD against Nebraska in 99 (the regular season game) I turned to high five the stranger next to me and in the elation of the moment I missed and smacked him right in the face, knocking off his glasses. Oh well, the Horns won and Matt and I celebrated by watching Pat Green (before he sold out) kick ass that night at Stubb's.
3. Four years ago my buddy Kenny acompanied us to Lincoln for the game. He boarded the departure flight Sunday still wearing the same clothes he wore when arriving on Friday. He stunk. Bad.
Someone Else's Personal Anecdote Involving This Week's Opponent
Semi-Relevant Quote from the Big Lebowski
"You're g------ right I'm living in the f'ing past!"
It's actually sad to see Nebraska fans forced to live in the not-so-recent-anymore past. I hope Bill Callahan gets them back to the level of success they enjoyed 5-10 years ago. The Big XII needs a national power in the North, and Nebraska is the team that needs to play that role.
Deluded/Rational Thoughts from an Opposing Message Board
Nothing deluded or rational, per se, about this one. Instead it's the gang at Big Husker Fan debating the effects of what will be damn-near frigid temps in the opinions of the visiting Texans. I bought a new Burnt Orange fleece, so I hope it's cold. Football is meant to be played in the cold. For the record I don't think the cold will adversely affect the Horns, much like I didn't think the heat would hurt Ohio State.
Random Texas-Nebraska highlight that has little to do with this game, but was sweet nonetheless
If you look closely (the video on this sucks) you'll see Matt McConaughy leaping about six feet in the air. If you look even closer you still won't see me smack that guy's glasses off of his head.
Prediction: Texas 30, Nebraska 20
Hook'Em!
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Last Week: Texas 63, Baylor 31; Nebraska 21, Kansas State 3
Last Meeting: 2003 -- Texas 31, Nebraska 7
All-Time Series: Texas leads 6-4
"What If" time... If Billy Pittman doesn't fumble on the 2 against Ohio State, and if Nebraska actually tries to move the ball against USC, is Saturday's game in Lincoln another No. 1 vs. No. 2 hype-fest?
No, I don't think so either. Still, it's an intriguing game between the two preseason Big XII division favorites. Surprisingly Texas has had Nebraska's number since the conference's formation, going 5-1 against the Big Red, including the memorable upset in the 1996 conference title game. Four of the six Big XII meetings have gone down the final moments, incluing both of Texas' trips to Lincoln
But this is 2006, and it's hard to predict what is going to happen. Does Texas unleash Colt McCoy against the Huskers, or does Greg Davis play it conservative? Can Nebraska's QB Zac Taylor find holes in banged-up Texas secondary? Do I spend the entire fourth quarter yelling, "Whose House? Horns House!"? (I hope so, I hope not, I really hope so).
Semi-Witty Comment about TWTWB
coming as soon as Matt finishes it...This Week's Game in a Nutshell
Both of these teams played too close to the proverbial vest in their losses this season. Both feature offenses that can pile up yards and points when clicking, but will they gameplan to do so? Nebraska still carries one of the great home field advantages in college football, but will the 11 am kickoff work to Texas' benefit? It's hard to be raucous when you just polished off your breakfast an hour ago.
Simply put: Texas wins this game if Colt McCoy continues his trend of weekly improvement. The Horns have too many weapons around him to lose focus in a big game such as this one. By the way, does anyone remember what happened that last time a freshman QB in burnt orange visited Memorial Stadium? Texas 20, Nebraska 16. I know Texas won't have Ricky Williams to rely on, but Nebraska won't have Eric Crouch either (or the 90's Blackshirts).
The Greg Brown Memorial Pregame Premonition
Have I even gotten close on one of these yet this season? Let's start this week: Colt McCoy breaks open the game with a play-action seamer to Jermichael Finley for six.
Personal Anecdote Involving This Week's Opponent
1. Texas' one conference loss to Nebraska came on the day I graduated from college. I skipped commencement to watch the game, much to my parents' dismay. I think Matt and I got drunk three times that day, the second two to drown the sorrows of a 22-6 conference title game loss.
2. When Mike Jones stumbled his way to the game-winning TD against Nebraska in 99 (the regular season game) I turned to high five the stranger next to me and in the elation of the moment I missed and smacked him right in the face, knocking off his glasses. Oh well, the Horns won and Matt and I celebrated by watching Pat Green (before he sold out) kick ass that night at Stubb's.
3. Four years ago my buddy Kenny acompanied us to Lincoln for the game. He boarded the departure flight Sunday still wearing the same clothes he wore when arriving on Friday. He stunk. Bad.
Someone Else's Personal Anecdote Involving This Week's Opponent
A chronology of events for Saturday, December 4, 1999, and the earlyThis is really long (but really worth it, too); Read the rest here.
morning hours of Sunday, December 5, 1999:
6:00 Arise, play the Eyes of Texas and Texas Fight at full-freaking blast
6:20 Get in car, drive to New Braunfels
7:30 Tee off (me and a buddy were the FIRST tee-time of the morning)
8:50 Turn 9 (crack open first beer)
8:53 Crack open second beer
8:58 Crack open...(you get the idea)
10:30 Finish 18 (holes, as well as beers), sign scorecard for smoooooth 95
10:35 Headed for San Antonio
10:50 Buy three 18-packs for pre- and post-game festivities
11:10 We decide we don't have enough booze, so we double-back to a
liquor store and buy the good ol' 750 ml plastic bottle "Traveler" Jim
Beam
11:50 Arrive at the tailgate spot. Awesome day. Not a single cloud in
the sky. About 70 degrees.
11:55 I decide that we're going to kick the shit out of Nebraska.
11:56 I tell my first Nebraska fan to go fuck himself.
12:15 The UT band walks by on the way to the Alamodome. We're on the
second floor of a two-story parking garage on the corner (a couple
hundred of us). We're hooting and hollering like wildmen. The band
doubles back to the street right below us and serenades us with Texas
Fight and The Eyes of Texas. AWESOME MOMENT.
12:25 In the post-serenade serendipity, 50-100 grown men are bumping
chests with one another, each and every one of them now secure and
certain of the fact that we are going to kick the shit out of
Nebraska.
Semi-Relevant Quote from the Big Lebowski
"You're g------ right I'm living in the f'ing past!"
It's actually sad to see Nebraska fans forced to live in the not-so-recent-anymore past. I hope Bill Callahan gets them back to the level of success they enjoyed 5-10 years ago. The Big XII needs a national power in the North, and Nebraska is the team that needs to play that role.
Deluded/Rational Thoughts from an Opposing Message Board
Nothing deluded or rational, per se, about this one. Instead it's the gang at Big Husker Fan debating the effects of what will be damn-near frigid temps in the opinions of the visiting Texans. I bought a new Burnt Orange fleece, so I hope it's cold. Football is meant to be played in the cold. For the record I don't think the cold will adversely affect the Horns, much like I didn't think the heat would hurt Ohio State.
Random Texas-Nebraska highlight that has little to do with this game, but was sweet nonetheless
If you look closely (the video on this sucks) you'll see Matt McConaughy leaping about six feet in the air. If you look even closer you still won't see me smack that guy's glasses off of his head.
Prediction: Texas 30, Nebraska 20
Hook'Em!
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