That other game...

Texas’ schedule for 2009 is something less than the gauntlet the team had to run in 2008 which featured four primetime games in four consecutive Saturdays. This season has two games in which you could foresee danger for the Longhorns. One is in Oklahoma and the other is in Dallas. The Red River game could feature the most intense buildup the game has had while Stoops and Brown have both been involved. It’ll be discussed in this space, I assure you, both for its historical importance as well as the actual strategy and outlook of the game. However, that other game, in Stillwater, deserves some attention as well.

The Assistant to the VP of common sense is blessed with a fantastic memory that recalls a few interesting details from the last matchup between Texas and Oklahoma St. First, it was a close 28-24 battle that came down to a last minute attempt by the Cowboys to win the game after the Longhorns foolishly went for a 4rth down touchdown instead of a field goal that would have protected the ‘Horns from a last second touchdown. Even more foolish was the play call, a play-action pass to the worst receiver on the team (the tight end) that resulted in Colt running for his life and flinging the ball to the back of the end zone. Before that feeble attempt there were a few other interesting features to the game.

Oklahoma St. ran the ball almost at will. The highly touted Texas run defense was gashed open for 229 yards, mostly by returning running back Kendall Hunter (18 carries for 161 yards, 8.9 yds. Per attempt).

OSU’s deadly WR Dez Bryant (along with the even more deadly Tim Crabtree the following week) was covered by which Texas Defensive back? 1). Ryan Palmer 2). Chykie Brown 3). Deon Beasley 4). Aaron Williams?
The answer? None of the above. Curtis Brown was given the assignment and is currently projected as the 3rd or 4rth corner on the 2009 team. Not to say that he isn’t a very talented player who might eventually break out into a superstar, but he wasn’t and still isn’t the best Longhorn to attempt to lock down a weapon like Bryant. Muschamp felt the need to keep both safeties back to prevent either Bryant, or the OSU TE Brandon Pettigrew, from punishing Texas down the field. This meant that Texas could only dedicate 6 defenders to stopping Hunter which was clearly problematic.

Late in the game Earl Thomas made a game saving play that killed an OSU drive that was almost in field goal range when he stripped the ball away from Hunter and Kindle landed on it. This was a game saving play on what otherwise would have been another long successful run by Hunter and likely an outcome changing score. Other interesting points from the game; Zac Robinson was sacked 5 times, Colt was sacked once, Brandon Pettigrew went to the NFL and is no longer a Cowboy.

Now, the major fear for the 2009 Texas Longhorns is the lack of a 2nd Defensive tackle. Texas simply isn’t used to not having several huge candidates to anchor the middle of the defense. Last year there was no one who could take on nose tackle duties if Roy Miller was injured, this year there is no one who can do it at all barring a remarkable jump from Ben Alexander or major contributions from a freshman. Teams that can run the ball effectively and with a power game have become an intimidating threat to Texas because of this factor and the only team on the schedule who fits that description is Oklahoma St.
That same team that has nearly beat Texas over and over again and has jumped out to big leads in games played in Stillwater.

Is anyone nervous yet? Well, as early as it is, I have several reasons for believing that Texas should be favored in this game and that Longhorn nation should put some of the concern to rest. Because:

1). We don’t lose this game: Mack Brown has never lost to Oklahoma St. and he’s had several good chances to do so. Texas has been down 35-7, 28-12, and 35-14 to OSU in the last few years and won all of those games.

2). OSU won’t burn Texas worse than 229 rushing yards: Texas is definitely weaker up front without Roy Miller. That man started every play in Texas’ favor by winning the battle up front in the middle. That said, the rest of the defensive line is still in great shape and the linebackers behind them will be better. Most importantly, with a veteran defensive backfield, guys like Chykie and A. Williams healthy, and no Brandon Pettigrew on the field Texas can bring 7 or 8 defenders into “the box” and crowd the line of scrimmage to compensate for having no Roy Miller. An 8 man front with this team’s speed should be more effective than last year’s defense with 6 guys and Roy Miller. Also, Texas already beat them while giving up over 200 yards rushing, surely Oklahoma St. won’t gash Texas worse than that…

3). Tim Beckman is gone: Tim Beckman was the defensive Coordinator at Oklahoma St. the last 2 seasons. Because he was replaced this season after taking the head coaching job at Toledo he is taking the blame for OSU’s defensive struggles last season with his “overcomplicated” schemes and plans. These are all lies and attempts by OSU and major media to sell OSU as a possible challenger to OU or Texas for conference supremacy. The new “Texas Tech” for 2009.

The truth is this; Tim Beckman has been involved in 3 games where Colt McCoy was seriously challenged by the defense and is largely responsible for OSU’s breakout win against Missouri last season. He was an assistant coach at Ohio St. when that team came into Austin and blew up the defending champions winning streak. The following year at Stillwater he watched his defense intercept Colt 3 times and almost win before collapsing late and utterly failing to catch Jamaal Charles.



Last season he drew up a defense that made every Texas drive as difficult as possible, forced Texas to convert long touchdown drives and ultimately, with a lot of help from the offense, held the ‘Horns to 28 points.

Beckman’s style is this, he loves to show a quarterback one defensive coverage and then have his players shift into a different one right before the snap to confuse the offense and prevent the quarterback from having a solid grasp on where he can throw the ball. The new coordinator, Bill Young, has been dominating at Miami the last few seasons and is coming home to his alma mater. He’s abandoning the late shifts and “confusing” schemes with straight forward gameplans and coverages that will simplify things and concentrate on execution, a terrible idea for the Cowboys.

Emphasizing simple concepts and better execution is what teams with talent, like Miami, do. Make things real simple for your athletes and let them get to work. Oklahoma doesn’t have those athletes on defense. This defensive line doesn’t have the talent to get to the quarterback with 4 guys, the backfield can’t show a simple coverage and out-execute guys like Sam Bradford, Todd Reesing, Robert Griffin or Colt McCoy. McCoy threw the ball 45 times last year and was only sacked once. Tech and OU had all the time in the world to throw. This year’s line won’t be significantly better. Bill Young is going to find out very quickly that coaching in the ACC against crappy offenses with premium Florida athletes is different than coaching in the Big 12 with 2nd or 3rd tier Texas and Oklahoma players. I’m calling BS on Oklahoma St. showing much improvement on defense this year whereas Texas can certainly be better on offense.

Granted, it’s only just now August and neither team has played a game yet, but if it’s at all safe to speculate about teams with a lot of returning players like Texas or Oklahoma State I believe the Auspices are good for another demoralizing defeat for the Cowboys at the hands of Mack Brown’s squad on Halloween night.