Watching the head-to-head recruiting battles between OU and Texas that has bitterly defined the Texas-OU rivalry since the 1950s, evolve into the strange, almost parallel, recruiting universe of today has been interesting.

In 2012, the Sooners signed only 5 of their 26 players from the state of Texas (19.2%, they signed as many Californians as Texans) while the previous ten years boasted a 46% Texas sign rate (107 out of 233, compiled using Rivals.com). The near term trend between 2008-2011 was even more pronounced with 56% of their signees hailing from the Lone Star State.

Though 2012 may simply represent a one year outlier, in 2013, Texas finds itself competing more with SEC schools for the finishing touches on its recruiting haul than against our primary rival and Big 12 hegemon. In a Big 12 that can be defined post-Osborne as an extended contest between Texas and Oklahoma (with Oklahoma winning), and the Texas program coming off of two relatively disastrous years, it's a curious circumstance that OU is going national.

What is going on? Why is OU in (seeming) Texas recruiting retreat?

Continue reading this post »

Phil Steele released his preseason thoughts on the league's best players. Several Longhorns are featured and I wanted to share where my views differ from his own with respect to Texas and the Big 12.

Continue reading this post »

While the realignment train keeps picking up steam and heads out of the station once again this summer, DeLoss Dodds has reiterated to CBSSports.com that Texas believes that a membership of 10 makes for a cleaner conference.

Dodds likes the idea of a round robin schedule and no conference championship game. He is concerned that when a play off system comes online, it could muck up the works if a 9-3 team pulls an upset over an 11-1 or 12-0 team in the conference game.

"We could expand to some number," Dodds said. "You name the number -- 12, 14, 16. We could expand but the question is 'do we need to expand?' In my mind 10 is perfect because you play everybody in football and there is a double-round-robin in basketball.

"When we get into whatever system we get in for a championship, I think those coaches that play in a conference championship are going to say 'What in the world are we doing?' "

Continue reading this post »

Dalton Santos was the most important take at LB in our 2012 recruiting class and I shared my thoughts on what he brings to Austin back in February. Needless to say, I love what he brings.

Continue reading this post »

The Southeastern Conference is next up on the Media Merry-Go-Round and while CBS is reported to be reluctant to increase their payout with the addition of A&M and Missouri, a new SEC Channel could open the vault.

First up is a renegotiation of the CBS pact for its Saturday national broadcasts. The network sees little added value in Missouri and A&M, since the SEC games are already broadcast in their dominant markets, and the network is arguing that teams like LSU, Alabama and Florida establish the value of the league -- and that the newcomers add very little right now.

The SEC meanwhile believes that the new deals struck by the Pac-12 and the ACC have changed the playing field and boosted the value of all live college football.

CBS and the SEC are expected to come to an agreement soon, and then the league will turn its attention to ESPN

Continue reading this post »

All units play a role in scoring and scoring prevention. Yes - offense mostly scores, defense mostly prevents them, and special teams does a bit of each, but each play their reciprocal role in the other's success. And when a non-defensive unit blows up, your points allowed column and defense takes shrapnel - and associative fan flak - no matter how well they played.

In football, unlike baseball, scoring and scoring prevention isn't just the province of each respective unit. Just as bad offense in basketball can lead to a fast break bucket going the other way, offensive turnovers and 3 and outs will eventually break a football defense.

If we accept that bad offense can sink team defense (specifically, point allowed metrics) and dynamic special teams and defense can fuel scoring, can good offense and special teams buoy defense?

At Texas, the answer seems to be yes. And though it's nice to be great on offense, good enough is all that's needed to take a significant jump in Ws and Ls when you play good defense overall.

Dive in with me.

Continue reading this post »

Like the Kama Sutra, we break down every position to let you know what to expect from Manny's boys in 2012.

On Wednesday we took a look at how the 2012 Longhorn offense figures to stack up to last year's version from a pure personnel standpoint. Today it's the defense's turn, and while there are a couple of areas for concern I get the sense that 2012 will be a very good year to be a Longhorn. And a fairly shitty year to be an opposing QB.

Continue reading this post »

The SEC and the Big 12 are forming an alliance to create a major bowl match up, just in case neither is part of the new 4-team playoff beginning in 2014.

The two leagues have signed a five-year contract for the bowl and announced that the game will be played annually on New Years Day.

Continue reading this post »