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1. Sauron said:

   October 20th, 2008 at 4:36 am

   We stopped the Little One. There’s more?

2. uthookem said:

   October 20th, 2008 at 5:03 am

   Let’s hope Chykie gets healthy this week.

3. Ray Finkel said:

   October 20th, 2008 at 5:03 am

   It hasn’t been a secret since OSU’s Bowl Game last year. Nobody can stop him. Baylor was rolling two safeties and a corner at him and he was still torching them. Hell he’s still open. Texas has the athletes to do it but I guarantee you if they try some squirly coverage, with Pettigrew back and with OSU’s ground game they’ll take what the defense gives them.

4. PatronSaint said:

   October 20th, 2008 at 5:09 am

   I refuse to fear anyone’s ground game until I see it actually get yards against us.

5. RansomStoddard said:

   October 20th, 2008 at 5:09 am

   11 of Robinson’s 13 completions against BU were to Dez. It’s almost like he doesn’t look to throw to anyone else.

6. Ray Finkel said:

   October 20th, 2008 at 5:18 am

   11 of 13 because the guy is always open. Think Rashaun Woods only bigger faster stronger. Man coverage, he’s open.. period. The guy is an animal and if you take him off the field OSU becomes a very average football team.

7. Hippie Killer said:

   October 20th, 2008 at 5:41 am

   I’m surprised Bryant is even alive. Missouri did their best to make his brains leak out his ears.

8. Ray Finkel said:

   October 20th, 2008 at 6:07 am

   Bryant is great and OSU is good. Colt McCoy on the other hand. Good lord. The dude can run and he is completing 80% of his passes. Not sure any team can stop him. As an OSU fan very impressed and obviously concerned. Let me throw this out there. To someone who hasn’t seen a lot of Texas to those of you who have, as an opposing d-coordinator what would you do to frustrate or slow McCoy and Texas down on offense?

9. BRAGGonUT said:

   October 20th, 2008 at 6:18 am

   I’d play 2 on 1 with Dez and 9 on 10 with everyone else…and still not fear the run.

10. BrickHorn said:

    October 20th, 2008 at 6:18 am

    as an opposing d-coordinator what would you do to frustrate … McCoy

    I’d remind him that activist judges will force his kids to worship Charles Darwin.

11. Horncasting said:

    October 20th, 2008 at 6:37 am

    OSU’s other WR’s may not have the same level of production, but they looked good in the only full game I’ve watched them this year (Missouri).

12. Ray Finkel said:

    October 20th, 2008 at 6:56 am

    Adequate posession type guys capable of making a big catch if needed. The thing that is encouraging as an OSU fan is that they haven’t had Pettigrew who is a legitimate weapon. The thing that worries me the most are big plays. Quick scores by Texas.

13. Redfoot said:

    October 20th, 2008 at 7:19 am

    I died laughing when reading the Darwin comment.

14. AustinYankee said:

    October 20th, 2008 at 7:20 am

    At this point, the best way to slow Colt down is to provide tainted milk at the pre-game meal.

15. Gobble Gobble said:

    October 20th, 2008 at 7:42 am

    The way to stop Colt: heavy blitz plus press coverage. Make him beat you deep.

16. Parlin Hall said:

    October 20th, 2008 at 8:02 am

    Use “The Voyage of the Beagle” for the doxology next Sunday.

17. Vasherized said:

    October 20th, 2008 at 8:48 am

    The key to slowing down Dez is getting to Robinson early anf often.

18. dedfischer said:

    October 20th, 2008 at 8:53 am

    The problem here is that OSU cannot generate pressure organically through their DL (4 sacks on the season). Assuming your OL are communicating well, I see no way for OSU to hang around in this game past the 3rd quarter given they be overloading to stop the run. This game should set up nicely for McCoy.

19. Scipio Tex said:

    October 20th, 2008 at 9:00 am

    OSU has generated pressure in their last two games with a 3 DE package. If they run that against out 4 wide, we should be able to run the ball.

20. Ray Finkel said:

    October 20th, 2008 at 9:27 am

    yeah they’ve had some success the past couple of weeks bringing in an extra linebacker as a rush end a la Demarcus Ware. It has been good in obvious passing downs but definitely susceptible to the zone read or draw. Anyway just got my ticket so I’ll be there in section 102. Definitely looking forward to it.

21. ChrisApplewhite said:

    October 20th, 2008 at 11:13 am

    The only defense I worry about from here on out is Kansas, because you know they’ll have a good scheme with well coached kids running it.

    OSU can beat us but they’ll have to outscore us. Tech, too. Kansas has a reasonable shot to hold us in the low 30s.

22. Kafka said:

    October 20th, 2008 at 11:46 am

    How does Dez get so open? I saw him just a bit in one game and was surprised that he did not look as quick as I had anticipated. I looked up his profile on rival or scout and he was listed at 4.6 in the 40. His NFL profile lists him at 4.58 in the 40. That is pretty slow relative to the horn DBs.

    If that speed is accurate, my guess is that UT jams him at the line to disrupt his pattern’s timing. UT also provides safety help over the top.

    If UT can pressure Zac with just the DL, UT should be fine. Zac is listed at 4.68 in the 40 by NFL. That is about the same speed as Colt. Colt would have trouble running on the horn DL (is my guess) so maybe Zac will have problems too.

    Horns probably play a 4-3 vs OSU, since OSU has a balanced offense. The horn LBs are quite a bit faster than Pettigrew (listed at 4.82 in 40 by NFL) so they might consider covering him with an LB. The LBs are big enough to contest the pass and tackle the big man with emphasis.

    Big receivers like Coffman and Gresham have given the horns fits. If Pettigrew is healthy, I would not be surprised to see him have a lot of catches if he is covered by a safety.

23. Ray Finkel said:

    October 20th, 2008 at 12:38 pm

    The only defense that can stop UT is KU? Seriously? KU gave up 6 miles of offense to the Goons. KU’s defense is brutal. Also I wouldn’t put so much stock in 40 times there chief. It’s football not track. Pettigrew goes 6′6″ 270. You want to tackle him?

24. Bill Gates said:

    October 20th, 2008 at 12:48 pm

    LMFAO…you’re scared of ku’s defense & not osu’s? WTF? the ku defense is a goddam seive. did you not see ku’s games against UO, USF…or for that matter ISU? they’re brutal!

25. steven said:

    October 20th, 2008 at 1:25 pm

    Don’t know how fast he is but what immediately jumps out when you first see him is how physical he is and he seems very agile and balanced in short spaces for a man of his build.

26. steven said:

    October 20th, 2008 at 1:28 pm

    I tend to agree that the most dangerous game left is KU, which is not all that dangerous. And I tend to agree with the KU D aspect as well. KU looked like shat against their early opponents, but for some reason, they looked a hell of alot better against OU, even though they gave up all those yards. And KU seems to have a decent secondary or at least they are well coached.

27. p said:

    October 20th, 2008 at 1:32 pm

    “How does Dez get so open? I saw him just a bit in one game and was surprised that he did not look as quick as I had anticipated.”- Kafka

    They throw him a lot of jump balls. He runs a lot of hitches, posts up like a big man in basketball, and Zac lobs it up to him. We need to defend him with one of our taller DBs, like Chykie or AW.

28. steven said:

    October 20th, 2008 at 2:00 pm

    Just watched a bit of him on YouTube. His speed seems to be fine, but what stands out is just his sheer overall athleticism, his above average acceleration, his leaping ability, his strength, and his stop and starts. Maybe not in terms of speed, but I’d say he is overall more impressive and a better WR than Maclin. Only Shipley maybe a better WR than him in our conference.

29. steven said:

    October 20th, 2008 at 2:02 pm

    Dez Bryant seems sort of like a super-sized version of Quan.

30. Ramance Taylor said:

    October 20th, 2008 at 5:52 pm

    steven,

    i know you didn’t just say that “only Shipley mabe a better WR than him in our conference.” i bet your damn nose hit your monitor as soon as you hit the submit comment button. not even the biggest ut homer out there would try to argue the notion that Shipley is in the same hemisphere as Dez Bryant.

31. Stick in MN said:

    October 20th, 2008 at 6:02 pm

    Have you ever been so stoned you can’t spell your own first name?

32. HughAkston said:

    October 20th, 2008 at 6:05 pm

    Mr. Applewhite:

    Please do not lose to Kansas. Getting drubbed by Texas was bad enough. Watching Kansas beat you would be worse.

    KU doesn’t have it on D. I think Mangino ate the wrong guys in two a days this year. Even he admitted after the game that they just don’t have the horses.

    Of course if Colt drops his completion percentages into the high 60’s (doubtful) and you guys don’t get pressure on Reesing or forget to tackle deceptively fast white guy running back then it could be trouble. They play differently at home will see this as the show case game to prove they belong with the big boys.

    Now no one in the North belongs, but please don’t give KU any false evidence to point to.

    If you lose this year, please don’t lose to KU.

    BTW - your team is just flat out good. CFB is fickle, but if they can play somewhere near the level (even a few notches down) they are in the MNC game without a doubt and the favorite to boot.

    Colt should win the Heisman hands down. If he doesn’t then he may become an atheist because it will be proof that God either a)doesn’t exist or b)sadly, does and is a Florida fan.

33. Michael Crabtree said:

    October 21st, 2008 at 1:46 am

    “Just watched a bit of him on YouTube. His speed seems to be fine, but what stands out is just his sheer overall athleticism, his above average acceleration, his leaping ability, his strength, and his stop and starts. Maybe not in terms of speed, but I’d say he is overall more impressive and a better WR than Maclin. Only Shipley maybe a better WR than him in our conference.”

    I guess we will see about that on November 1.

34. Kafka said:

    October 21st, 2008 at 5:02 am

    Ray Finkel:
    “Also I wouldn’t put so much stock in 40 times there chief. It’s football not track. Pettigrew goes 6′6″ 270. You want to tackle him?”

    Chief?

    I go about 6′5″+ and 260. When I was playing D (first at DT, then DE, and finally MLB), I much preferred tackling big slow guys rather than risk being embarrassed by a small fast guy. Speed kills.

    40 times mean a hell of a lot which is why the NFL puts so much stock in them (and vertical leap, etc).

    My point is that with such a slow TE, UT should be able to defend him with LBs and even DEs (UT DE Melton, for example, is much faster than Pettigrew). Makes creative zone blitzes much simpler.

35. HenryJames said:

    October 21st, 2008 at 5:12 am

    I don’t care what 40 times say. If Texas tries to cover Pettigrew with a defensive end, they’re going to get burned badly.

36. Kafka said:

    October 21st, 2008 at 5:15 am

    p:
    “They throw him a lot of jump balls. He runs a lot of hitches, posts up like a big man in basketball, and Zac lobs it up to him. We need to defend him with one of our taller DBs, like Chykie or AW.”

    Yeah, I came to the same conclusion after watching some video of him on the big 12 summary show. He does not actually get open, he just wins jump balls. He’s got a pretty decent vertical leap (35″) but is not super quick. For sure the corner should jam him at the LOS (because the CB will have a clear edge in speed).

    There is actually a good opportunity for some tipped balls/interceptions for the horns. The jump ball approach will provide some time for the safety to converge and grab any passes that the CB can tip.

    Those jump balls leave Dez vulnerable to getting obliterated by the big hit.

37. Sam Bradford said:

    October 21st, 2008 at 5:26 am

    Everybody’s open against Baylor.

38. Kafka said:

    October 21st, 2008 at 5:33 am

    HJ:
    “I don’t care what 40 times say. If Texas tries to cover Pettigrew with a defensive end, they’re going to get burned badly.”

    Why? Pettigrew goes out mostly on short pass patterns, so there isn’t much risk of getting “burned badly”. These big TEs are grabbing most of their completions against our safeties anyway. How much worse can it get?

    A quicker DE can jam Pettigrew at the LOS and keep from even getting out on his pattern for quite a while (which can really screw up a short pass pattern).

    If the opposition runs, the DE is in good shape to defend the run. If the opposition passes, the DE stays on Pettigrew while the LB on that side rushes the QB. So this approach facilitates a zone blitz, i.e. you don’t do it every down, it is a surprise.

    40 times matter because speed matters. Obviously if you do this, the DE must know how to play pass D. Since UT DEs drop back in zone pass coverage from time to time, Muschamp must be giving them some pass D training.

    People get too hung up about labels like DT, DE, LB. I played all three positions in high school. If you have the speed and training, you can switch between DE and LB.

    Sergio Kindle switches between LB and DE on a regular basis. Sergio can cover Pettigrew, even if Sergio happens to be playing DE that down.

39. HenryJames said:

    October 21st, 2008 at 6:04 am

    So our safeties are having problems covering the slower tight ends, but our linebackers will be able to cover Pettigrew?

    A defensive end who has no idea what it means to play press coverage is going to jam a guy whose job requirement is beating that press coverage?

    Because our DEs have occassionally dropped back into pass coverage, suddenly they will be good at man coverage?

40. Ray Finkel said:

    October 21st, 2008 at 6:23 am

    Guys I realize that the vast majority of you are UT fans but come on. Cover one of the most athletic tight ends in the country with a defensive end? That is some funny shit. You guys are spot on about Dez getting a lot of jump balls. He is very good at that. If Robinson has time I suspect he will get his fair share this weekend. As far as the speed thing goes yeah I guess you have a point. Although as far as in a football game I’m not real sure you can distinguish a big difference between a 4.5 and a 4.7. Let me just say this Dez is fast enough. Fast enough to return a few punts for touchdowns and turn a WR screen into a 75 yd touchdown against Houston. Look Texas might win big on Saturday but it won’t be because of these two guys. Regardless of how they play on Saturday they are the real deal.

41. steven said:

    October 21st, 2008 at 6:25 am

    Don’t know if he’ll get the assignment, but Kindle could surely cover the TE, unless he just has no sense in how to do so. From an athletic standpoint, Kindle has the size and speed to handle the mojority TE’s.

    I am just wowed by Kindle’s athleticism and his play on the field lately. He will most definitely be a 1st round pick when he decided to come out. From a sheer athleticism standpoint, he is far more impressive than DJ was. Don’t know about the LB’s instincts part, but, for the rest, Kindle is just a flat out beast.

42. Kafka said:

    October 21st, 2008 at 6:43 am

    The safeties have no problem staying with the big TEs. The problem is that the TE is too big for a small safety to reach across the large TE so the pass is completed anyway. It is like having a 6 foot guard defend a 6′7″ center in the post (not very effective).

    The problem is not covering the 4.8 TE. A safety can do that, an LB can do that, even an LB that is playing DE can do that. The problem is to have a guy guarding the slow TE who has the size to reach across the TE’s body to knock down the pass and the size to reliably make the tackle.

    The problem with a beast like Pettigrew is not that it is hard to stay with him but that it is difficult to keep him from catching the ball and to tackle him after he catches the ball.

    Is is easier to jam a TE than you might realize, especially if you are about the same size and quicker than the TE. Pettigrew is not explosive and his movement is constrained by being next to the OT. Starting out in a 3 point stance does not help him, either.

    My experience is that jamming a TE is easier than jamming a WR. The jammer gets to use his hands on the TE to help stay in front of the TE. The TE cannot grab the jammer. As long as the jammer is quicker than the TE and comparable in strength, it is time consuming for the TE to defeat the jam.

    An LB such as Sergio who has significant pass coverage responsibilities/abilities does not lose those same abilities when he switches to DE (which is where Sergio plays on likely passing downs).

    You aren’t asking Sergio to cover Dez, you are asking Sergio to cover a guy who is significantly slower than Sergio. You aren’t asking him to cover Pettigrew every down, just occasionally on a zone blitz. It is not like Pettigrew is going to unleash this amazing set of moves on the defender. He is a move the chains kind of receiver.

    Covering these big TEs with safeties is not working very well. I would like to try covering them with an LB and see how that works. I think the LB will be able to stay with Pettigrew well enough and will be better equipped to contest the pass and tackle the TE (as necessary) than the UT safeties.

    If you have an LB playing DE, there is no reason that DE can’t cover the TE on a play where you want to zone blitz.

43. steven said:

    October 21st, 2008 at 6:59 am

    not even the biggest ut homer out there would try to argue the notion that Shipley is in the same hemisphere as Dez Bryant.

    I think that everyone around here would agree that I am probably not the biggest UT homer, but I would still say that chances are that Shipley is a better WR overall. Why not? Where would the UT O be without him? Hey, as a general rule it might be true, but just cause you are a whitey does not mean you can’t ball and that you have to take a back seat on the football field bus.

    Shipley probably is no where near the overall athlete that Dez is, but there is more to being a WR than that. Does anyone in the conference run better routes than Ship? And while Ship, being a white boy, may not be the fastest or the smoothest running WR around, his first couple of initial steps are damn good. When whitey boys tend to be athletic, that is one characteristic that they tend to have. I say, it is about the best around in this conference. And does anyone in this conference have better hands than Ship?

    Ship is sort of like a bigger and maybe faster version of Wes Welker. I say, if Ship was in Tech’s O, there is a good chance he would be putting up bigger #’s than Crabtree. Ship’s style of play is a perfect fit for what Leach does up in Lubbock.

44. Kafka said:

    October 21st, 2008 at 7:08 am

    Ray Finkel:
    “…Cover one of the most athletic tight ends in the country with a defensive end?”

    Pettigrew is not a UT type TE who runs a 4.55 40 and can’t be covered by an LB. He is a huge beast but he is not fast (he runs a 4.8 40). He can be covered by an LB who runs a 4.6 40 and is well coached in pass D by maybe the greatest D coach in college football (Muschamp personally coaches the LBs).

    If that LB is playing DE (UT frequently has an LB play DE in passing situations), that DE retains the same pass defense abilities he has when he plays LB.

    Let’s be specific: Sergio Kindle can cover Pettigrew whether Sergio is lined up at LB or DE. It probably won’t happen because Sergio is so valuable at rushing the passer.

    You surely can distinguish the difference between 4.5 and 4.7 on a football field. Every time you decide what angle to to take when tackling a runner, the runner’s speed enters into that computation. You take a different intercept angle to tackle 4.7 guy than a 4.5 guy. As a defender you are super aware of the speed of the guy you are defending and it has a big impact on your strategy.

45. Ray Finkel said:

    October 21st, 2008 at 7:47 am

    Good Lord. I can give you 100 examples of guys who have played at the highest level, Heisman Trophy winners, Superbowl Champions for crying out loud that people thought were slow but on the football field they were running away from people. I can show you an equal amount if not more players who ran a 4.4 but are flipping burgers right now. Dez Bryant isn’t running the 100 for Jamaica in the Olympics all right! I don’t know who Sergio Kindle is but I’ll take your word for it. Jason Witten is the slowest whitest guy in the NFL and he just so happens to be the best tight end in the game. Youtube Brandon Pettigrew and tell me if you still think your boy Kindle can cover him.

46. Vasherized said:

    October 21st, 2008 at 8:00 am

    Ray,

    We don’t want Kindle covering your TE even if he was Clay Aiken. We want him violating your QB.

    Our only LB that’s decent in coverage is Muckelroy which is why we’ve been playing a base nickel against spread teams. If we can still stop your running game out of that package you’re going to have problems.

47. steven said:

    October 21st, 2008 at 8:10 am

    I happen to side with Ray Ray here. Didn’t Mizzou’s slow but tall, jumping jack TE show that if you are big and physical enough, you do not require much of a separation, if any at all, to catch, assuming there is a QB who can get the ball through that tight window.

    And I would say the same thing about Dez. He is so physical, he also probably does not need much of separation to be effective, assuming, again, that you have a QB who is that accurate.

48. Ray Finkel said:

    October 21st, 2008 at 10:05 am

    I’m not even sure you could call OSU’s offense the spread. I am not 100% sure what the exact numbers are but I am willing to bet they run the ball 80% of the time. Pettigrew isn’t even full speed anyway. He’s got a bum ankle. Clay Aiken however is a go. He practiced on Monday and from what the coaches said, “he looks ready to get balls deep in Texas’ ass.” Thats a good sign for Cowboy fans.

49. steven said:

    October 21st, 2008 at 10:57 am

    Doubt if any team outside of Bama could make a living running the ball on us. Sorry, Ray Ray. As incompetent as our LB’s maybe at coverage, they seem to be very adept at stuffing the run. That seems to be their area of expertise.

50. Clay Aiken said:

    October 21st, 2008 at 12:57 pm

    Your Lb’s can “stuff my hole” anytime.

51. p said:

    October 21st, 2008 at 7:21 pm

    Kafka- “Those jump balls leave Dez vulnerable to getting obliterated by the big hit.”

    Exactly!! That was exactly what Mizzou tried to do with him. They just forgot to cover the other receivers. With Dez jumping for so many balls he is vunerable to big hits. Time to que up Thomas…… he likes to hit. The Pokes offense lives off their running game. I am interested to see how we handle it.

52. Kafka said:

    October 21st, 2008 at 10:36 pm

    Ray Finkel:
    So your argument is that not all slow guys fail at football and not all fast guys succeed. OK, but so what?

    Regarding Dez, my point about him not being that fast (relatively) is that the horns should cover him with a bigger, taller DB rather than a smaller, faster DB. It is all about the specific match up.

    Dez is a physical guy who wins 50-50 balls, a very admirable receiver. The guy covering Dez needs to be big and physical and aggressive enough to contest those 50-50 balls.

    You said that Dez is always open. That isn’t accurate. What is accurate is that Dez is really good at winning 50-50 balls.

    Because Dez is not that fast, the DB should try to jam Dez at the LOS (since Dez isn’t just going to run away from a faster guy).

    Jamming a go to receiver is really important because it effectively speeds up the pass rush and screws up the timing of the pass pattern.

    It is really difficult to jam a super fast guy because he can run around the jam of a slower player and is immediately open (and running away from the DB).

    When the DB is quicker than the receiver, he can risk jamming the receiver because the receiver has a harder time running around the faster DB. When the receiver does get past the jam, the faster DB can catch up pretty quickly (i.e. the situation is not disastrous).

    Regarding Pettigrew and Sergio, here is what NFL Draft says about the two guys:
    Pettigrew: 4.82 40, 6′6″, 260
    Sergio: 4.57 40, 6′4″, 240

    Pettigrew is a little bigger and quite a bit slower than Sergio (1/4 of a second in the 40 is a huge difference).

    Pettigrew is an outstanding player. I’m pretty sure the guy has good hands, blocks well, breaks tackles, and is open even when a DB is standing right next to him (because he is so big). If UT tries to cover him with a safety, he will probably catch 10 passes.

    But Pettigrew is not somebody who is going to run away from Sergio (or anybody else UT has defending him). Pettigrew is not going to run amazingly slick patterns that will wrong foot the defender. He is going to rumble down about 10 yards and either post up or cut right or left and catch the short pass. He is mainly a move the chains receiver.

    Given that Pettigrew is so big, I would much prefer to cover him with an LB than a safety. The UT LBs are much quicker than Pettigrew and big enough to contest the pass. They can also tackle Pettigrew much easier than a safety can. An LB can also jam Pettigrew at the LOS much easier than a safety can.

    BTW, Pettigrew is slower than every starter on the UT D except the DTs.

    I used Sergio as an example because he splits his time between DE and LB (i.e. if LB Sergio can cover Pettigrew, then DE Sergio can cover Pettigrew).

    After this Saturday, you will know who Sergio Kindle is.

53. Kafka said:

    October 21st, 2008 at 11:21 pm

    Vasherized:

    OSU isn’t primarily a spread offense, is it? I think OSU has a balanced running and passing attack. Doesn’t UT mostly play a 4-3 against teams with a good running attack?

    UT will focus on taking away the run from OSU and force them to beat UT in the air, don’t you agree? This means UT will start out mostly in 4-3, not nickel, right?

    In the Big 12 competition, Mizzou is the only team that UT has played so far that primarily runs the spread, right? CU didn’t against UT. I would not say OU is primarily a spread team either (right?). Of course, in the 1st half, the OU no huddle had UT in disarray.

    UT played mostly 4-3 (in non passing downs) vs. both CU and OU, right? (when they could make the substitutions they want to make)

    My guess is UT plays a lot of nickel against KU, Tech, and Baylor.

    “Our only LB that’s decent in coverage is Muckelroy which is why we’ve been playing a base nickel against spread teams.”

    Playing a nickel against a spread offense which emphasize passing (i.e. Mizzou, Tech, KU, Baylor) is just common sense and does not say a thing about the pass D of the UT LBs. Nobody expects an LB to cover a WR who is much faster than the LB.

    Regarding UT LB pass defense, what I have seen is that the UT LBs have improved their pass D a bunch as the year has progressed (and compared to last year). They at least seem to be sticking closer to their man and are actually contesting the pass.

    It makes sense that the LBs would have improved a bunch since Muschamp is personally coaching the LBs.

54. Ray Finkel said:

    October 22nd, 2008 at 4:47 am

    Kafka. If it was as easy as you say it is then Dez and Pettigrew would never catch a pass! Of course Pettigrew isn’t going to run away from too many people but I gurantee you he is just as fast as Gresham from OU and that guy has killed Texas the past two years. The real X factor here is OSU’s running game. This Kindle person isn’t going to be able to just shadow Pettigrew around all game. Pettigrew and Bryant get open a lot of times because of play action. OSU does a great job of mixing up the run and pass which makes it tough for teams to “tee off” on the pass. I can’t count how many times OSU has run some sort of draw on third and long and caught people blitzing. What I was saying about the speed is that yeah I am sure Texas has some incredibly fast athletes but so what? There is a lot more to being a football player than being fast. Neither guy is going to blow anybody away with their speed but they will both be playing on Sunday’s.

55. Larry King said:

    October 22nd, 2008 at 6:07 am

    Ray Finkel wants to show Mike Gundy that he too is a man, if you know what I mean and I think that you do.

56. steven said:

    October 22nd, 2008 at 6:14 am

    The real X factor here is OSU’s running game. OSU does a great job of mixing up the run and pass which makes it tough for teams to “tee off” on the pass.

    Agree with you Ray Ray, if OSU can run the ball, either straight up or with the option, effectively against us then this will turn out to be a game unlike Mizzou. And in the past, Texas has had problems with mobile QB’s mixing run and pass, like McGee at A&M. But I still think it will be tough sledding for OSU this year, no matter how good your run game plan is. Our front seven is just much more athletic than it has been and they run to the ball much better than they have in the past. If we have a vulnerability, it maybe straight up the middle, since we have gone to smaller, more mobile DT’s. No one has really tested us yet with regard to that (and it looks like no one will), but, so far, they have looked more than adequate against the run.

    And I agree with you about your receivers, I am sure they will get their’s or could get their’s. Dez sure can and I don’t care what his speed is. He seems to have enough of it. The only problem with that is the QB getting them the ball through those tight windows and that maybe where the problem lies for OSU. Not sure if Robinson is accurate or consistent enough to exploit OSU’s advantage at receiver, assuming he even has enough time to do so.

    And Texas’s speed is overrated. Yes, on the D side of the ball, we have great speed. Earl Thomas seems like he is one hell of a fast safety and our corners are very good. Our LB’s run well for the most part, except Norton tends to have a slow first step, and our D-line runs better than it ever has. Melton runs well to, but he seems to be in the same boat as Norton. He, too, is stuck with a slow first step.

    On O, I don’t think we are really that fast. We aren’t slow, but I don’t think you could say we are fast. Without Fozzy, our RB’s are nothing more than average. You guys better hope you all don’t seem much of him this game, cause he would rip your D to shreds. Some of our undersized WR’s have very good quickness, but I don’t think you could say that they were fast. We have no true blazers at WR. You guys stuff the run and get consisent pressure on McCoy without giving his lanes to escape to and jump the short routes and you all will put a big dent in the Texas O. I just don’t think you guys have the personnel that can do so.

    OSU has had a tendency to field very physical lines relative to the B12 over the years. It seems you all’s inability to land those few extra skill players both on O and D is what has kept you all back. That and probably shatty coaching. OSU has been one of the more talented teams in the B12 for a while, in my humble opinion. It seems like a lot of your teams were just barely on the tip of making it over the hump, but, for the above reasons, have always failed to do so. Actually, I suspect, that some of your teams in the recent past may have been better and more talented than the one you guys have now, records notwithstanding. I just have a feeling that this team maybe softer and less physical than other OSU teams I have seen in the recent past. But haven’t seen much of your team, so that is just a suspicion for now.

57. Vasherized said:

    October 22nd, 2008 at 6:29 am

    kafka,

    No, OSU is clearly not a spread offense - in fact they are one of the few teams that favors the run because it sets up big plays in their passing game to Pettigrew and Bryant. My point was that if we can still stop their running game out of our base nickel just rushing 3 or 4 they’re going to have problems moving the ball consistently in both facets of the game.

    I think we give up 100+ yards rushing when its all said and done but if its at the expense of only 200 yards passing and 2-3 TDs then Texas wins easy.

    I don’t see a defense on our schedule that can hold Texas under 35, let alone 45.

58. grey rock said:

    October 22nd, 2008 at 7:04 am

    Whoever said Pettigrew is a possession receiver who doesn’t make big plays needs to look up the Tech and KSU games from last year.

    Twice he took short passes (10-15 yards) about 40+ yards to the house. Against Tech he broke one tackle, stiffed armed another and ran away from a third. Similar for KSU. Look it up. Quite impressive.

    Oh and before you go there I know UT’s D is far superior to anything Tech or KSU has ever sniffed, so I am sure he will just give up.

    Oh and Dez had over 150 yards on Aqib Talib from KU last year, who just happened to be an NFL 1st round pick at CB. I think he will be alright.

59. Ray Finkel said:

    October 22nd, 2008 at 7:30 am

    EVERY OSU fan realizes this team has yet to play anybody, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, the caliber of Texas. I think that everyone, Texas fan, OSU fan, agrees that if OSU can run the ball it could change the complexion of the game. I sincerely hope this game will be as good as advertised.

60. T-Bone Pick Pocket said:

    October 22nd, 2008 at 7:38 am

    Ray Ray, the best RB at the game and maybe the conference may not even see the field. Like I said and I will say it again, if Fozzy sees the field, he will rip your D, with its average and so so speed, into so many pieces. Contrary to popular opinion, odds are that the UT running game is more of a factor in this game than OSU’s.

61. Ray Finkel said:

    October 22nd, 2008 at 10:55 am

    T-Bone I refuse to take anything you say seriously because of your repeated and deliberate use of the words “okie pokie”. Your opinions mean absolutely nothing to me. My mom hopes you and Dan Marino die of Gonnhorea and rot in hell.

62. HenryJames said:

    October 22nd, 2008 at 11:07 am

    I feel your mom is being very unfair to Dan Marino.

63. T-Bone Pick Pocket said:

    October 22nd, 2008 at 11:10 am

    Well, if you don’t like term I’d suggest you move. That’s one way to solve to problem, isn’t it? It’s a free country or so they say. Anyway, I don’t need you to take my words seriously now, but I am sure you will take them to heart during and after the game.

    You know since you are such a good sport, I really hope one of these days in the next twenty years or so, your team actually manages to finish and beat the Horns, just so you’ll have something to smile about with regard to your life, but, sorry, I’m not with you on this year, not with this team. Texas has a very good chance to win 2 more MNC by this time next year. Too much riding on this game. If you guys can beat us, the more glory to you all.

64. prison guard said:

    October 22nd, 2008 at 11:32 am

    Sorry: we found his cell phone but somehow missed the laptop.

    We’re working on it.

65. Ramonce Taylor said:

    October 22nd, 2008 at 12:07 pm

    T-bone Pick Pocket,

    please explain your earlier comment to me…”Texas has a very good chance to win 2 more MNC by this time next year.” not sure how that is even possible. thanks in advance!

66. Kafka said:

    October 22nd, 2008 at 8:54 pm

    Ray Finkel:
    “If it was as easy as you say it is then Dez and Pettigrew would never catch a pass! Of course Pettigrew isn’t going to run away from too many people but I gurantee you he is just as fast as Gresham from OU and that guy has killed Texas the past two years.”

    I didn’t say it would be easy. You are not responding to what I actually said. I am not saying (and did not say) that UT will shut down Dez or Pettigrew. What I am suggesting is the best strategy that I see for defending them. Do you see the difference? It is the difference between process and results. I make no claim for results but am suggesting what I think is the best process for UT to defend these guys. You will agree that there is an optimal strategy, right?

    Defending big TEs with a safety is not working for UT and I expect that Pettigrew will have a big day against UT if he is healthy and UT defends him with a safety (just too big a mismatch in size and strength).

    Defending Pettigrew with an LB who is much faster than Pettigrew will work better because it is a better matchup. An LB can jam him better, can contest the pass better, can strip the ball better, and can tackle better than a safety can.

    The only area where the safety will be better than the LB will be keeping up with Pettigrew as he runs his route. I content this is not a problem because the UT LB is .25 seconds faster in the 40 (i.e. a whole lot faster). Big, not very fast, Pettigrew does not run any amazing routes that are going to trip up the LB.

    “This Kindle person isn’t going to be able to just shadow Pettigrew around all game.”

    Well yeah, UT could assign an LB to shadow Pettigrew (no law against it). If you have amazing D talent, you can do amazing, creative things with that talent. Assigning an LB to Pettigrew makes defensive assignment screw ups less likely.

    As I said previously, it probably wouldn’t be Kindle because he is so great at rushing the QB (but I use him as an example because he plays both DE and LB). UT has other LBs that are roughly the same size and speed as Kindle (i.e. much quicker than Pettigrew).

    “I am sure Texas has some incredibly fast athletes but so what?”

    The “so what” is that you can use these amazing guys in creative ways. The traditional idea that an LB can’t cover a TE doesn’t make sense when the LB is much faster than the TE and the TE is not great at running routes.

    Pettigrew’s huge size can certainly overwhelm a safety. Once you matchup a guy with Pettigrew who is nearly as big, just as strong, and a lot faster, Pettigrew’s job just got tougher (just getting off the LOS could be a chore and breaking tackles just got much tougher). A big LB can run side by side with Pettigrew and disrupt his balance by jostling him a bit in a way that is difficult to detect. A small defender can’t do that.

    “There is a lot more to being a football player than being fast.”

    Cling to that hope. The bigger, faster, stronger guys usually win in football.

    “Neither guy is going to blow anybody away with their speed but they will both be playing on Sunday’s.”

    You just don’t get it. I already said that I admire both guys and have gone to the trouble to figure out how how one might defend these guys because they are such a threat to UT this Saturday.

    In summary, I’m not arguing about the result of the UT-OSU game but am just suggesting what I think is the best strategy for defending two of OSU’s stars. Please feel free to suggest an alternative strategy.

67. Kafka said:

    October 22nd, 2008 at 9:26 pm

    Vasherized:

    “..My point was that if we can still stop their running game out of our base nickel just rushing 3 or 4 they’re going to have problems moving the ball consistently in both facets of the game.”

    Clearly if UT can pressure the QB by rushing 3 or 4 guys and stop the run while playing a nickel, then OSU would be in deep trouble.

    But UT is not going to be playing nickel against OSU except on clear passing downs. UT will be in a 4-3 most the time against OSU, because OSU has a good running game and UT’s top priority will be to stop the run.

    My guess is that UT does a good job of stopping the OSU run game and will be able to do it with little support from the secondary.

    I’m more worried about stopping Pettigrew and Dez. UT has had a lot of trouble with big TEs and physical WRs this year. I hope UT does not try to cover Pettigrew with a safety (Pettigrew is just too big and strong).

    I don’t think Beasely or Palmer have a chance at defending Dez. I’d like to see what Aaron Williams can do against Dez.

    UT will effectively pressure the QB with a 3 or 4 man rush. OSU will probably try to neutralize the UT pass rush by throwing quickly to Dez or Pettigrew. I think it will be important to jam both guys to interrupt the timing of short passes. Once they catch it, it is going to be hard to bring them down.

    Probably see a bunch of screens from OSU.

    Muschamp is going to have to be creative to deal with Pettigrew and Dez. OSU throws lots of jump balls which means there will be opportunities for some interceptions after tipped balls.

68. Dexter Manley said:

    October 22nd, 2008 at 9:39 pm

    Too many words!

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