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1. alma said:

   October 31st, 2009 at 5:12 am

   Good recap and analysis. I still recall smacking my forehead every time we kicked off deep and let Cox return it to the 40. Hopefully we don’t require Colt to complete 90+% of his passes today in order to sustain our drives.

2. Levander Williams said:

   October 31st, 2009 at 5:47 am

   Nice summary.

   “Texas Offense was in long-field situations pretty much the entire game with OSU last year. Amazingly, all four of the Texas TD drives spanned 80 yards or more, with two of them more than 90.”

   Good recall - I had forgotten this. I expect that better ST play will help resolve (or at least offset) that this year.

   I’m not concerned about the defense tonight - especially with Dez out. Once again, it will boil down to the offense and whether we have a credible gameplan & make proper adjustments.

3. EyesOfTX said:

   October 31st, 2009 at 5:49 am

   Levander - I agree. The single most likely problem for Texas tonight, IMO, is that the offense will not show up ready to play the first half, as it has done in 4 of our 7 games thus far. The good news on that count is that the offense has shown up prepared and with a credible game plan the last two weeks running. Bodes well for tonight.

   Hook ‘em!!!

4. beowulf said:

   October 31st, 2009 at 5:53 am

   I watched it on TIVO Thur nite and came away with similar observations, especially on Pettigrew and Dez and our KO coverage teams. Of course we had Quan that day and he was phenomenal. His absence has impacted our offense far more than we expected, especially with Collins out.

   But Colt and his receivers seem to have hit a stride in the last 3 halves of games we played, and our defense is much much improved over the version Okie State saw last year.

   An we’re healthy. And rested. Last Halloween we weren’t.

   I’ve never wanted a game to be in the rearview mirror more than this one, because we have so much riding on it. It’s the last weekend that Texas can stump its toe barring a major meltdown/calamity.

5. ransomstoddard said:

   October 31st, 2009 at 6:24 am

   My OSU friends say that Perish Cox will have solo coverage on Ship and will shut him completely down, as they claim he did to Alexander from Mizzou. They will bring heat on Colt with their line and blanket the rest of our average wr’s. On offense, they say they have the overall most talent at wr in the Big 12, and will run the ball at will. They are pretty cocky this week. Oh, and the dreaded black t-shirt “black out”.

6. hopefulhorn said:

   October 31st, 2009 at 6:32 am

   Good observations, all.

   One more thing. Despite Bryant, Pettigrew, Hunter and Cox all going off on us, we still had two chances to put the game away on the OSU goal line in the 4th quarter and failed both times. If memory serves, Colt fumbled once and we turned it over on downs once. If we punch it in on either possession then OSU’s late drive doesn’t mean much.

   Bottom line, OSU is not as good offensively as last season and we are miles better on defense and special teams. As Eyes suggests, we may be hitting our stride on offense with the Williams/Goodwin/TE set and misdirection running game. If so, this game isn’t very close (35-17 or so).

7. The General said:

   October 31st, 2009 at 6:59 am

   While OSU may have a skill position downgrade, their offensive line is as good or better than last year. Also, Zach Robinson has been playing at a higher level this year. I have a gut feeling that their has been a little sandbagging with Kendall Hunter, and he will not be as gimpy as we think.

   I see OSU moving the ball well between the 20s, but getting bogged down and kicking field goals. If our offense does not gift wrap points for them, this looks like 16-19 points for the Pokes.

   I don’t think Okie Light can hold us under 30, so we should cover, but I think it will be ugly.

8. BEHorn said:

   October 31st, 2009 at 7:13 am

   “I have a gut feeling that their has been a little sandbagging with Kendall Hunter, and he will not be as gimpy as we think.”

   Maybe he isn’t that gimpy yet, but … nicked-up guys haven’t fared so well against our D this year.

9. houstonearler said:

   October 31st, 2009 at 7:33 am

   “One more thing. Despite Bryant, Pettigrew, Hunter and Cox all going off on us, we still had two chances to put the game away on the OSU goal line in the 4th quarter and failed both times. If memory serves, Colt fumbled once and we turned it over on downs once.”

   We didn’t fail both times. The refs failed on one of them. On the drive we turned it over on downs, Cody Johnson just clearly scored on the third down play. Not sure what the hell the refs were looking at or why it wasn’t reviewed. Had they reviewed it, it’s an easy call for 6.

10. Trips Right said:

    October 31st, 2009 at 7:47 am

    Everyone but Baylor has moved the ball on OSU including Rice to the tune of about 400 yards. We’ll move the ball. Barring turnovers, yardage will lead to tons of points.

    Defensively, we played 7 in the box for most of the ballgame last year, and the combo of Okung and Pettigrew playside just destroyed whomever lined up over them. Orakpo/Melton and whatever poor strongside LB we had in the game. Their run game fed off of this dominance. Without Pettigrew and Dez, we can play more 4-3 and make Zac Robinson throw the football. And when he does, we’ll get pressure. We got a ton of it last year without having to blitz at all. We’ll get it this year in spades.

    This Texas team is being undersold by the public and books. We’re hitting our stride on both sides of the ball. If we show up emotionally, we’ll win big. If not, we should be ashamed of ourselves. I suspect we show up and roll.

11. Trips Right said:

    October 31st, 2009 at 7:52 am

    Oh, good observations all the way around on this thread. I can honestly say each and every one of you is much more qualified to have a seat at the Game Day table than Desmond Howard. Mainly because none of you makes my eyes bleed.

12. t1climb1 said:

    October 31st, 2009 at 8:10 am

    I also watched that game yesterday on ESPN Classic. For those of you who have not watched the 2008 version of the Longhorns, I would venture a guess that, like me, you would be amazed at how much better our defense is this year and particularly the back 7. I knew we were better of course but watching last year’s team really put it into stark relief for me.

    There were a few plays that the 2009 version makes that we just didn’t last year. Also, I was struck by how much better our LB play is this year. They gashed us in the run game last year and a lot of that was because our LB were out of position, shooting the wrong gaps, or simply getting manhandled.

    On one of the OSU scoring drives Earl Thomas breaks up a pass in the endzone. This year, I have no doubt that Earl Thomas makes the interception. Just one example.

13. ghostofagroundgame said:

    October 31st, 2009 at 8:55 am

    I haven’t watched Ok State play this year other than in their game against UH. UH has no defense, so that was not a real good gauge of much, other than an apt demonstration that OK State struggles against screens and short passes . . . That is the one thing we do well (short passes anyway — if I were OC I’d run at least 4 or 5 screen plays to DJ Monroe and Fozzy every games).

    They are probably the best offense we’ve played so far. But they have no idea how good our defense really is. They are REALLY good. I do NOT think OK State will move the ball consistently at all. I also think we dominate special teams. Hope I’m right. Its all for naught if Colt throws his patented “Pick-6″ to the flats pass more than once.

14. Vasherized said:

    October 31st, 2009 at 9:17 am

    The vegetable that is Lee Corso still makes more sense than Desmond Howard. I don’t think I agreed with one thing he said all day.

    Texas received what seemed like at least a quarter of the coverage and Herbie is fully onboard the Dreamwagon now that Ohio State and USC are not viable candidates.

15. Donny Boudreaux said:

    October 31st, 2009 at 9:21 am

    Our defense last year is instructive to our defense this year. Only we’re better. Its hard to gauge how our O will do this year b/c they have a new DC and a different scheme. Apples to oranges there, unfortunately.

    Hard to see them scoring more than 17 on us this year. REALLY hard to see it. Now on offense, who knows… their defense looks better this year.

16. Questions said:

    October 31st, 2009 at 9:33 am

    What happened to the link to Tilting at Shithouses?
    Is Scipio rehabbing from a botched botox procedure?

17. gohornsgo90 said:

    October 31st, 2009 at 10:26 am

    “as they claim he did to Alexander from Mizzou.”

    Not sure how 161 yards in the first half and Danario’s career high of 180 total is shutting him down, but I guess when you have a defense like OSU we just look at things differently…

18. TheElusiveShadow said:

    October 31st, 2009 at 11:22 am

    Perrish Cox most certainly did not shut down Alexander. Cox is not bad, but Alexander had a big day. If not for Gimpy Gabbert’s inaccuracy, Mizzou would have put up huge numbers.

19. hopefulhorn said:

    October 31st, 2009 at 11:24 am

    FWIW, Herbstreit and McShay are two of the better commentators on ESPN and they are both saying we roll.

20. java said:

    October 31st, 2009 at 11:51 am

    Eyes, thanks for the read.

    BE, I had the same thought earlier about Hunter. It just isn’t a good year to play someone even a little gimpy against our defense.

    All, didn’t the team name Muschamp, Coach “Boom”? When ESPN called our defense the Goon Squad (and, yes, I know the guys named themselves), why didn’t they just call themselves the Boom Squad? Seemed appropriate.

    Damn! Iowa just went ahead of Illinois. I was hoping they would shoot themselves in the foot.

21. java said:

    October 31st, 2009 at 11:52 am

    Eyes, thanks for the read.

    BE, I had the same thought earlier about Hunter. It just isn’t a good year to play someone even a little gimpy against our defense.

    All, didn’t the team name Muschamp, Coach “Boom”? When ESPN called our defense the Goon Squad (and, yes, I know the guys named themselves), why didn’t they just call themselves the Boom Squad? Seemed appropriate. After all, sometimes things just go Boom!

    Damn! Iowa just went ahead of Illinois. I was hoping they would shoot themselves in the foot.

22. p said:

    October 31st, 2009 at 12:29 pm

    Last year we were outnumbered in the box defensively for most of the game, as we are in nickel. We usually had 6 in the box to OSU’s 6 or 7. The big runs came when they ran over Okung’s end. I am sure coach Champ will utilize what he learned in the aftermath of that game for this one. Last year we were protecting our young secondary, and wouldn’t come out of two deep. This year I am sure there will be more of an emphasis on beating OSU at the point of attack. Dismantle their run game, and you win!

    I am sure we will make more of an effort to to equalize those numbers.

    Offensively, we seem to turn it over 1-2 times a game. Colt needs to take care of the ball, something he has regressed at this season. GD needs to come out aggressive, and go up top a couple times just to remind OSU that we mean to stretch the field. Every team is squatting on all the short throws. There will be opportunities downfield. Here is to GD taking them early, and often!

23. Sailor Ripley said:

    October 31st, 2009 at 12:40 pm

    Good stuff from PB @ BON:

    
    Thoughts on OSU Defense / Thoughts on OSU Offense

24. Yassir Sanchez said:

    November 2nd, 2009 at 11:49 am

    The thing that I remember most about last years game was how OSU seemed to always have the ball in the second half with us only needing one more score to put the dang thing away.

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