9-3 Still an Overachievement

While Texas fans had grandiose visions of back-dooring their way into a BCS birth, when it came down to it, Texas ended their charade, and played like the 8-4 football team they are. Outside of the Texas Tech game, where Texas Tech declined to use a defense, the Longhorns have been a team that couldn’t play four quality quarters of football and couldn’t dominate in any phase of the game. The fact that they are 9-3 and have a shot to get another 10 win season, is a success in its own right.

The biggest flaw in this year’s Texas team was obviously the defense. The unit trying to cope with the departure of Co-defensive Coordinator Gene Chizik was obviously no where near the unit they were of previous years. The defense struggled to stop anyone all season and had an extremely tough time coming up with stops on third down. It just seemed like whether it was a 3rd and 3, or the 3rd and 20 in the first quarter of the A&M game, the Longhorns would figure out away to give up 4 or 21. The role of a defensive coordinator is to put his players in the position to succeed and to make adjustments throughout the game. While the Texas players often times didn’t make the plays when they were there, the defense rarely made adjustments or improved during the course of the game, and it seemed like the defense was caught off guard or out of position too much. (You may say that the defense stepped up in games against Nebraska and Oklahoma State, but just because the offense decides to run out the clock with 12 minutes left in the game doesn’t mean the defense is making stops.) The way the defense played this season leaves me to wonder whether Chizik was the brains of the operation, but I’m willing to chalk it up to a mediocre secondary and an atrocious set of linebackers and give Duane Akina another year of getting the defense to play in his system.

A more pressing concern has to be the play of Colt McCoy. His decision making in the A&M game might have been worse than his performance in the Kansas State game. After three weeks of playing solid football and making the plays that the defense gave him, Colt looked determined to win the A&M game by himself. As has been the case, when he tries to do too much he fails miserably. While his running game hadn’t been in full force the entire season and he struggled with injuries to his wide receivers, namely Limas Sweed, Colt still should have been better off. After a successful freshman season, Colt was given a larger responsibility in the offense, and he didn’t cope well with the responsibility. His 18 interceptions this season have been costly and keep this offense from achieving more. It is starting to appear more and more that Colt McCoy’s ceiling as a player lies somewhere between the reliable quarterback that played within the system that he was his freshman year and the improvisational playmaker he has tried to be this season. I think the best we can hope for out of Colt McCoy is a quarterback that relies on his running game, spreads the ball around to his extremely talented wide receivers and tight ends, and on occasion makes a few spectacular plays. I think if he tries to do more than that or Texas insists on being a pass first team centered around Colt McCoy, he will continue to have a Kansas State game and Texas A&M game a few times a season.

I think Colt can be a good enough quarterback to win BCS bowls and possibly a National Championship, but it won’t be because of Colt McCoy. If it were to happen it would need to be because Colt leads an offense built around Jamaal Charles and Vondrell McGee, that utilizes Jermichael Finley, Quan Cosby, and Jordan Shipley on the outside. But most of all it would need to be a team that has a National Championship caliber defense. Colt McCoy doesn’t have the ability to throw for 4,500 yards, 38 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, but it doesn’t mean he isn’t the right quarterback for the University of Texas. If Colt could find his niche and play within himself he could be a quarterback that throws for 3,500 yards with 28 touchdowns and 5 interceptions on a BCS team.The real question will be how Colt McCoy handles the pressure that will be present throughout his next two years at quarterback. If Colt McCoy is continued to ask to win Texas football games as oppose to leading the offense, then Colt will continue to have terrible games mixed in with the good and solid ones. If that is the case, then the Texas faithful will begin to clamor for someone who can win games for Texas, like their hero Vince Young. Colt McCoy will have to deal with John Chiles becoming more involved in the offense during his junior and senior season. It is unavoidable; Chiles is a talent that can give a new wrinkle to the Texas offense. But if Colt McCoy can’t handle the criticism or the competition much like Chance Mock, Texas will find itself a team without a leader bogged down in a quarterback quagmire that can’t compete with the elite teams in the Big XII.

Major Applewhite and Chris Simms was a difficult situation that ended with neither reaching their full potential. Chance Mock struggled with the future looking over his shoulder and it ended with Texas underachieving. Colt McCoy needs to be the quarterback for this team, but it needs to be in a system where he is not expected to be the All-American. Unfortunately, Greg Davis’ offense has only been truly effective for two years at the University of Texas, and that was when Vince Young was his quarterback.

Clutch or Holding on for Dear Life?

For the second straight week, the Longhorns made a furious fourth quarter comeback to win by 3 against an inferior opponent. At least this week, it was on the road against a formidable Oklahoma State team that has played well since switching to Zac Robinson at quarterback. While it wasn't as bad as pulling out a home win against a Nebraska opponent that win on to lose 76-39 to Kansas, it was still very bad.

Perhaps the only area that Texas didn't struggle was in the kicking game, as Ryan Bailey continued his exceptional season, kicking a game winner as time expired earning himself the Big XII Special Teams player of the week award for the second consecutive week. Justin Moore had a solid game punting the ball as well. You know it's never a good sign when you have to start your recap of the game off talking about the kicker and punter.

Oklahoma State should get as much credit for this victory as Texas should. Through three quarters, Oklahoma State marched up and down the field on Texas, getting whatever they wanted offensively. The secondary had no answer for Adarius Bowman and Brandon Pettigrew, but even more alarming was the way they were able to shred the defensive line, picking up yards on the ground. Texas was especially poor on first down, consistently giving up 4 or 5 yards, making it easy for the Cowboys to march down the field. I think we've hammered home how terrible the linebackers are, and the absence of Sergio Kindle was evident as Scott Derry and Robert Killebrew got unhealthy amounts of playing time. I think the only amazing thing is that I would take Scott Derry over another player, that's how bad Killebrew is. However, once the 4th quarter rolled around, aggressive coach Mike Gundy called the dogs off and went into a milk the clock conservative offense. This strategy allowed Texas to load the box, make the necessary stops and put the ball back in the offense's hands. Oklahoma State continued to stay in this mode until Texas tied the score at 35. Then the Cowboys marched back down the field like they had in the first 3 quarters, until they missed the 32 yard field goal. It is unbelievable that Gundy went into an offensive shell, and if he hadn't, this game would've ended 56-28 OSU.

Offensively, Colt McCoy continues to struggle. He is getting to the point where he is due for a few bad decisions or bad throws per game. It doesn't help that his receivers are playing inconsistently and dropping balls, like the sure touchdown pass to Cosby and the interception that Nate Jones should have held on to. Part of the problem is Texas' decision to establish the pass before the run. In the 1st quarter Texas had 3 carries by running backs, and had 2 carries by running backs in the 3rd quarter. It's not surprising that Texas didn't score in either of those quarters. Texas is coming back to their most effective part of the team too late in games. The line is improving each and every game, and Jamaal Charles is playing the best football of his career, and Vondrell McGee has taken the short yardage and goal line pressure of Charles. Together, Texas has formed a powerful running attack that has been showcased in the 4th quarter of their last two games.

The other reason Texas needs to utilize the running game more is the disarray of the passing game. Texas is sorely missing Limas Sweed's deep threat as Billy Pittman has been non-existent this season, and Jordan Shipley is not the imposing physical receiver that Texas has relied on over the past several years. Texas has also hasn't exploited Jermichael Finley deep down the middle of the field as he was able to do against Oklahoma. He is definitely involved in the offense now, but he still hasn't been able to break off the large chunks of yardage like he did on his touchdown reception in the first half. Without Limas Sweed drawing safety help, Finley is being covered in the middle of the field. But most importantly Colt McCoy is still trying to do too much and making too many mistakes.

Last season he played within himself and used the weapons that were around him. Texas ran the football and let Colt distribute the ball to his weapons. This season, the plan to make Colt the focal point has backfired as Colt has been inconsistent, gotten hit too many times, and is trying to make up the difference in the weaknesses in his receiving corps. The last two weeks Texas has won football games because they pounded the ball with Jamaal Charles late in games. Facing weak defenses with high powered offense, Texas needs to be pounding the ball throughout the game to keep the defense fresh, and better yet, off the field.

The past two weeks Texas has resembled a team playing on borrowed time. The human polls have recognized that this is not a very good football team despite the 8-2 record, by dropping Texas in both the Coaches and Harris polls. You could make the case that Texas should not have beaten Nebraska, but they definitely should not have beaten the Pokes. Texas needs to improve to be able to win against Texas Tech and the season finale at College Station. The only problem is, I don't think the improvement is there. I think this is our team, and we're going to have to squeak out a way to win the rest of the season.

A Few Thoughts on the Baylor Game

Texas' 31-10 win at Baylor was less than impressive, as Texas went through the motions and the game was much closer than the final score appeared. A few thoughts on the game and where the Horns go from here.

Jamaal Charles Splitting Time
- Jamaal Charles could be, and should be seeing a reduced role in the offense after this weekend's game. Vondrell McGee played well against the Bears, and he should replace Charles for a number of reasons. First off, despite a fumble against Baylor, McGee is more secure with the football, he's stronger and doesn't put the ball on the ground nearly as often. You just don't seem to find yourself screaming, "Don't fumble, don't fumble, don't fumble!" when McGee carries the ball in the red zone. Second, McGee runs North to South. He picks up what is there, and hits the holes hard. Charles consistently bounces the ball outside and looks to use his speed to get wide. But it seemed like every time he ran in the Baylor game, they just kept pushing him further towards the sidelines until he ran out of room and was stopped for a two yard gain. Last, McGee just runs harder, and is bigger and stronger than Charles. McGee will begin to see many more carries as the season goes on, and Charles probably will not see many more red zone carries this season. Charles shouldn't be eliminated from the offense as his speed is an asset and he is solid out of the backfield as a receiver. But watching him play he just looks like a 3rd down back, and we should use him as one.

Colt McCoy's Happy Feet
- I don't know when this started to become a problem. It probably has to do with the concussions and the number of shots Colt has taken this season. Either way, over the last few weeks Colt has lost his comfort in the pocket. (This is based on the last few games, minus Iowa State, my grandmother could have shredded Iowa State that day) It seems that Colt has a four second clock in his head, and as soon as that clock goes off he is either scrambling to make a pass or taking off running. Early in the season, the offensive line was so bad he only had 4 seconds to throw, but now he has more time, and he's not using it. It's hurting his accuracy, it's hurting his decision making, and it's hurting the Texas downfield passing game. He is bailing on plays before they develop and trying to create too much. If he doesn't relax and stay in the pocket more, he will continue to throw one to three interceptions a game. And Texas won't beat good teams doing that.

Running out of Shotgun
- I've wondered this about Texas for the entire Greg Davis era, minus the Vince Young era. Why do we run an offense that is geared specifically for Vince Young or a quarterback with a similar skill set. Chris Simms floundered in this offense, and while Colt McCoy is mobile enough to manage playing in the offense, it isn't ideal for him, and it certainly isn't good for the Texas offense. The Zone read is effective when your quarterback is a legitimate threat. Colt McCoy isn't a legitimate threat to run. He is not a good enough runner that you need to focus on him, and he's not big enough to be exposed to that many hits during a game. The other problem with it, is that it starts your running backs 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage from a standing position. It asks an offensive line that isn't anything more than average, to hold blocks for 3 seconds longer than they would normally need to. It gives defenses all the time to react and charge the line, and it's the biggest reason the Texas running game is struggling. McGee ran well out of the I-back and single back sets, and it is a wonder why Texas doesn't use it more. I understand Colt is more effective passing out of Shotgun, but is he incapable of making a 5 step drop? The offense would benefit from a change in philosophy, or perhaps a new offensive coordinator. But as history shows, we won't be seeing either any time soon.

John Chiles role
- While College Football has embraced the role of a sparingly used running quarterback, or using a position player at quarterback to add creativity to the offense, Texas needs to figure out John Chiles role. In the Iowa State game, Colt was perfect on the first two drives and shredding the Iowa State defense for two touchdowns, only to be taken out for a 3 and out led by Chiles. I am for getting him experience and adding a wrinkle, but you don't need creativity or a wrinkle if you are doing well. Also, they need to let Chiles throw the football some. He has only attempted 9 passes on the season, four of which were the last four of the Kansas State loss. They need to give him some simple throws to get his confidence up, but also to keep defenses honest to his running. He is seeing 8 or 9 guys in the box anytime he is in the game, because they know Texas would only throw with Chiles if it is 3rd and 15.

Texas Linebackers
- Another game, more proof that the trio of Muckelroy, Norton, and Kindle are better than Bobino, Derry, and Killebrew. Each game it seems like the younger trio is getting on the field more and more, but can't we just stop the charade? It's like ESPN saying they don't favor the Yankees and Red Sox over every other Major League team. Just bench Bobino, Derry, and Killebrew. Tell them, guys this is major college football, so we can't play just because you are seniors. Tell them it's unfortunate, but we have to go with the more athletic, talented, instinctive and aggressive linebackers. Killebrew would celebrate and have aggression, you know, if he ever could run to a play. Bobino is athletic and talented, but he just is out there running around. If the play goes near him then he'll make the tackle, but that's a big if. And I just don't know how Derry gets on the field. It's just another frustrating instance of Mack Brown's take the good with the bad. He's loyal to a fault. I suppose we'll just have to hope that Bobino gets lost on the way to the stadium, Killebrew doesn't get there in time, and Derry just doesn't get there.

Texas Outlook
-Texas is a good football team, but their are a few things that are keeping them from being a great football team. On offense, there is no big play. If Texas scores, it is because they are picking up 3rd down after 3rd down. They don't rip off 25 yards or 50 yards, and eventually when you are forced to make a 15 play drive to score, you will falter. Also, Texas is abysmal in their execution, efficiency, and play calling in the red zone. They need to figure out what they are going to do in the red zone, and then execute it. Texas makes more mistakes in the red zone then they do anywhere else. On defense, Texas needs to improve against the mid-range play. Texas is consistently susceptible in the middle for 6 to 10 yards. If it is 3rd and 5 or less, it might as well be a first down. Improving the middle of the defense will get the defense off the field more often, and make them more effective throughout the game. Texas is a good football team, but these problems give opponents like Kansas State, Central Florida, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, and Texas A&M a chance to beat us. And it will cause us to fall short against teams like Oklahoma.

McCoy Cleared to Play Against Sooners

Doctors have cleared Texas quarterback, Colt McCoy, for duty after he suffered a "minor concussion" in last week's embarrassing, home loss to Kansas State. McCoy was awful, throwing 4 interceptions and never really seeming to find his rhythm.

McCoy to Play...

No word yet on whether or not Colt took the news well...

"Owww! My headache is causing me to throw interceptions!"

19 Days, 19 Questions: #12

With 12 days left until KICKOFF, 'The Forty' is back in business and going to run down the top 19 questions for the upcoming year.


12: Can Colt McCoy avoid the "Sophomore Slump?"

Just like the fortunes of Jamaal Charles, Colt McCoy's success is inextricably linked to the performance of the Texas offensive line. Unless the o-line proves to be incredibly porous, there is not much keeping Colt from matching, or surpassing, the numbers he put up in 2006. Last season, redshirt freshman, McCoy beat out Jevan Snead for the starting quarterback position. By the middle of the year, McCoy's name was being mentioned in the Heisman race.


McCoy's season came to a dissapointing conclusion when he was injured on a QB sneak in the opening quarter of the Kansas State game. Colt missed the rest of the game and tried to make a comeback start against Texas A&M. A weak shoulder, along with a staunch Aggie defense, forced Colt into numerous mistakes and he finished the day throwing three interceptions.

Despite the two game setback, McCoy exceeded all expectations and was, by all accounts, the best QB in the Big 12 and a top ten QB in the nation. Colt finished the year with a 68.2 completion percentage, 2,570 passing yards and 29 TDs. These are stunning numbers for a Freshman who had never seen a college snap before.

McCoy returns for 2007 with a year under his belt and an array of wide receivers that would make any quarterback in the country jealous. He has been tabbed by most pre-season publications as a top 5 quarterback and a contender for the Heisman trophy. Offensive coordinator, Greg Davis, has reaffirmed his commitment to the pass in 2007 and looks for Colt to have another fantastic statistical season.

One worry McCoy might have is how quickly a new offensive line can gel. And they better do it fast if McCoy does not want to spend the TCU game on his back. But as of right now, there is not a big reason to think that the o-line will not do a competent job of protecting McCoy and the passing game. If they can even get close to the performance of last year's line, McCoy will be sitting in New York, as a top 4 finisher in the Heisman trophy ceremony.

My Prediction: 3,100 yards, 29 TD, 6 INT, 67% completion