It's funny that a Longhorn hater like Skip Bayless is really the only talking head that gets what the ostensibly harmless option play on 1st and 10 from the Bama 11 on Texas' opening drive meant to the outcome of the game. You know, that little play that cost the Longhorns the winningest quarterback in college football history. So far Skippy B. is the only guy with a microphone that has stated the obvious, and i'm including Texas sports talk radio and TV hacks as well. It's obvious to me that losing 90% of your offensive production on one play, with the better part of four quarters remaining in the most important game of the season, is a setback. And more than likely this little setback will have a detrimental effect on how your team performs the rest of the way. Is there something I'm missing here?
"But Trips, Bama changed their gameplan too and went more conservative."
Well yes, and who did that benefit? Bama or Texas? If you watched the ballgame you know that Texas won the battle 90% of the time Greg McElroy dropped back to pass, so you lost me by saying less conservative is better for Bama.
Anyway here's Skip Bayless and some jag that thinks Chase Daniel is our backup QB, "discussing" the subject. I thought it was interesting.
As for my take, yes I'm a homer, but I’ll go to my grave saying we were two touchdowns better than Alabama that night. We were cooking with gas on offense the first drive of the game and then after Gilbert settled in a little bit in the third quarter. Also, we were having success on the perimeter with some runs and screens even when Gilbert was only presenting a 1 read threat in the pocket. You put a multi-read threat like McCoy back there and sprinkle in his ability to run, and our success on the perimeter is enhanced further.
As far as the two gifts we were given right off the bat, if a McCoy led Texas squad gets up by two scores at any point, it’s an uphill climb for a Bama team that had zero ability to move the ball through the air. The Tide simply couldn’t protect vs. our front 7 regardless of how many we brought and the Bama receivers fared even worse in the battle vs. our DB’s. I don't think Collin Peek caught a pass all night. Bama's leading receiver? Julio Jones...a triumphant one catch for 23 yards.
Point blank, the Tide was lucky as shit to maintain contact early on in that game due to McCoy's injury. The injury alone allowed them to stick with their downhill running attack and eventually overwhelm a team led by a true freshman QB. A team that outyardaged the SEC champ.
I’m not saying Texas is two TD’s better than Bama game in and game out, I’m just saying we were this game. It was apparent Bama showed up to be coronated and McCoy’s injury bailed them out. It's interesting that virtually no one has the nads to make that obvious point publicly. Well, except Skip Bayless, that is.