Texas is gonna win

[85Sooner]

if the pattern holds. So far in the bowl games involving the top 10, the lower ranked team has won every one of them. Never seen that before.

[OUDoc]

Never gonna happen.

[85Sooner]

actually only 6 teams who were higher ranked won in all of the bowl games.

[Monster Zero]

The King used to always say that there's a reason they go ahead and tee it up and play.

'Bama's defense is gonna shut them down just like Nebraska, and this time the refs are gonna be from a neutral conference.

[sooneron]

Never gonna happen.

Well, if bammer shows up and lays an egg, they can win. I don't see that as being Saban's MO, however.

[JLEW1818]

i hope Greg McElroy does not **** the bed

[fwsooner22]

Bama Blowout........

[goingoneight]

Utah, folks. :(

U-T-A-H.

[JLEW1818]

F-L-O-R-I-D-A

[Jello Biafra]

Utah, folks. :(

U-T-A-H.

which is exactly why they wont let texas beat them. they hate last years loss as bad as we STILL hate usc from 2005. imagine what the players feel like...

[JLEW1818]

the same could be said for Florida... look what they did to Cincy.. "a top 5 team"... look what bama did to Florida...

some may say "well cincy was confused b/c their coach"

same could be said last year with bama-Utah... bama just had their heart crushed against Florida, and no chance at the national title..

[JLEW1818]

here is what CFN thinks..

What will happen: McCoy will be special. Lost in the SEC Championship debacle was that Tim Tebow really wasn’t that awful; he didn’t get anything out of his receivers. Tennessee’s Jonathan Crompton was able to move the offense through the air, and South Carolina’s Stephen Garcia had a nice game and got the offense in a position to score several times before struggling to close. McCoy is a smarter passer than anyone Bama has seen all season long and he’ll come up with over 300 yards of total offense.

Alabama players and coaches have been saying they understand the recent history of the 1 vs. 2 matchups, and they seem to be well-prepared, but there’s a reason that the “underdogs” end up playing so well in the BCS Championships. For one, they’re in the national championship, so, duh, there’s some semblance of talent in place and the team must be doing something right. Second, yeah, there is a wee bit of the hunger factor. Alabama prepared for an entire year for Florida after its gut-wrenching loss, while Texas still has been preparing for this game ever since it lost the 2008 Big 12 South tie-breaker.

More than anything else, Texas is good. That might seem obvious, but it’s a fact lost on many after what happened against A&M and Nebraska. Alabama isn’t faster than the Longhorns, it isn’t more talented, and it doesn’t have a major advantage anywhere but on the O line, and that’s where McCoy should make the difference. Because of the problems up front, Texas will make McCoy roll out more, get him moving more, and have him take off more than he has done all season long, and after a few drives, that should keep the Tide back just enough to provide the time needed to get the passing game working. Don’t expect a Vince Young Pasadena moment, but expect many to want to change their Heisman votes.

CFN Prediction: Texas 23 … Alabama 19 ... Line: Alabama -4

[sooner518]

4 years ago, we had the Heisman runner up and entered the national championship undefeated. The Heisman winner and his team came in undefeated and mudstomped us in the GOWWDNS.

I expect the same thing tomorrow. 55-19 Roll Tide!

[sooneron]

I strongly disagree with CFN's assessment. texas has done **** poor offensively against good defenses. At this point, I think Nebraska's D may be the best (playing that way), but Bama still has something to prove.
the whorns D is good, but they're going to get tired going up against the bruisers that Bama has.

27-16, or it could be worse.

[OUDoc]

Yeah. No way texas has played that well this year. Maybe they CAN play that well, but I sure haven't seen it against any team this year.
Name one tough team texas played this year.

[JLEW1818]

yep, i don't agree either


they have lost me some money this bowl season

oh, and screw u Lester the Molester Miles

errr

[Clever Trevor]

Bama by 20!

[JLEW1818]

very clever :D

[Sasakwa]

I'm getting closer and closer to the point where I'd take just about anything to shut up the SEC worship. Not that I'm a huge Big XII homer, but seriously? Do they really think no one in the Big XII has players or knows how to play?

[NorCaligator]

Bammers had some close games this year. They just hit on all cylinders and crushed Florida. I thought they played way over their heads, and don't know if they'll be able to repeat that against *.

On a side note, I read Bammer's O line hasn't been called for holding since October 3. Is that even possible? Maybe there's some truth to the SEC home cookin' claims. Curious to see how the officiating plays out.

Still can't pull for *. Go Bammers.

[Clever Trevor]

very clever :D

indeed!

They'll be up 27-14 going into the third, giving * a chance, then Colt will get tossed around on consecutive possessions and bama will score a late td, maybe off a turnover.

[utex74]

While I obviously love the CFN prediction I know they miss as much as they hit. I also know anything can happen which is why I just arrived in California... just in case.....you know.

What Mack said in an interview this week is very true and happens often in championship games. It doesn't matter who has the better program. It doesn't even matter who has the better team. It only matters who plays better for 3 1/2 hours on Thursday night. I'm hoping for the best 3 1/2 hours these guys have ever put together.

Tired of the build up. Let's do this and go home, with either result. Just finish it.

God bless Texas.

[goingoneight]

which is exactly why they wont let texas beat them. they hate last years loss as bad as we STILL hate usc from 2005. imagine what the players feel like...

Didn't seem to help us in OUr next THREE BCS embarassments.

[goingoneight]

Your measuring stick is OSU and Ole Miss.

Until Mike Gundy decided it would be innovative to call for an interception or two or five in the fourth quarter, both of those teams were evenly matched.

IIRC, Texas and Bammer hammered both of them on the road pretty good when they were "motivated" and "wanted to win."

Just because we've had some stinkers in BCS games doesn't mean Tejas (and us for that matter) aren't good enough to challenge and/or beat up on SEC teams, and Bammer has looked ugly as often as Tejas has this year at times.

I see it pretty even, and if lady luck or the two-minute offense has anything to do with it, I can't watch it. That's all Tejas.

Hopefully Ingram has 200 yards and McElroy looks like the game-changer that embarassed Florida, not the "game-manager" that looked awful John Parker-Wilsonesque for most of the year.

[SoonerShay]

What about the pattern that a team returning to the BCS national championship game has lost every time to the team with their first showing.

FSU - lost - 2000
UM - lost - 2002
OU -lost - 2003
OU- lost - 2004
USC -lost - 2005
TOSU - lost - 2006
TOSU - LSU both had been before
OU - UF both had been before

This year Bama will be playing texas who has been before in 2005 and won.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

...and this time the refs are gonna be from a neutral conference.Ha..hahaha....hahahahahahahahahahahahah . "The refs are part of the game"-Mack(the joker)Brown

[silverwheels]

The closer this game gets the more I think Texas is going to win. I may have to set fire to the whole state if that happens.

[Dan Thompson]

I feel sorry for McCoy and Shipley.

[recemp]

I got TX 21-17. It king of makes me ill though.
Somebody did suggest an earthquake.

BTW Troy 10 CMU 9 at half

[kiomanche]

The only way Tejas wins is if Opie runs his backside off, they have no run game and someone other than Shipley, [who has been at Tejas for what seems like 10 yrs] will have to step up. I see Bama in the backfield all night tossing Opie around like a rag doll!!
Bama 28-10

[Sabanball]

While I obviously love the CFN prediction I know they miss as much as they hit. I also know anything can happen which is why I just arrived in California... just in case.....you know.

What Mack said in an interview this week is very true and happens often in championship games. It doesn't matter who has the better program. It doesn't even matter who has the better team. It only matters who plays better for 3 1/2 hours on Thursday night. I'm hoping for the best 3 1/2 hours these guys have ever put together.

Tired of the build up. Let's do this and go home, with either result. Just finish it.

God bless Texas.

Believe it or not, I agree.

For example, does anyone really think the NY Jets, as a team, were better than the Colts going into Super Bowl III? Of course not. But who won and took home the super bowl trophy? It was the team that performed and executed that sunday afternoon.

I'm not in any way trying to compare the disparity between Alabama /Texas to that of the Colts/Jets of 1967. The two teams that will square off tomorrow evening are both undefeated and I think are very evenly matched. That's why I think the winner of this game will be the team that makes the fewest mistakes. So far this year, we've won most of the time by just not giving the opposing team the opportunity to beat us by turning the ball over and by moving the chains on O. As I see it, Colt McCoy is by far the most formidable individual player tomorrow night of either team, but on the bench he can't do anything. I really think he will be the random element and the bellwether in the game. I simply cannot imagine, barring a total meltdown by Bama, CM having a bad game and Texas winning.

[Leroy Lizard]

What Mack said in an interview this week is very true and happens often in championship games. It doesn't matter who has the better program. It doesn't even matter who has the better team. It only matters who plays better for 3 1/2 hours on Thursday night.

That Mack dude is like a freakin' philosopher. Some heavy words, there.

[MyT Oklahoma]

Anything is possible in a bowl game but I think Alabama is the better team no matter how many times they play Texas this year, including tomorrow night.

Alabama 35
* 14

Roll Tide Roll.

[Frozen Sooner]

Re: OP

Nuh-uh.

[MamaMia]

I'm getting closer and closer to the point where I'd take just about anything to shut up the SEC worship. Not that I'm a huge Big XII homer, but seriously? Do they really think no one in the Big XII has players or knows how to play? Coaches change. Players change. Truth is..some years the SEC has a stronger conference than does the Big XII and some years the Big XII has the stronger conference.

[Jacie]

I wouldn't place a bet based on a pattern of what happened in games that did not include the teams in this game.

The reason the line favors Bama is based on the Big XII Championship Game mauling of Ponyboy by the nebbish D-line (9 sacks!). An article on CNN points out that they did't do anything special, Suh was over the center every play. They just out-manned the whorns. Bama will not play that way, instead disguising blitzes and try to sneak someone up to the line to get into the backfield. The other difference is the Tide actually have an offense that might score a few more than 12 points.

[Crucifax Autumn]

Today is the day texass gets humiliated. Thye will feel like it's early in the decade again and they are being owned. Tech will be a happy memory of long-lost glory and joy.

[Bourbon St Sooner]

here is what CFN thinks..

What will happen: McCoy will be special. Lost in the SEC Championship debacle was that Tim Tebow really wasn’t that awful; he didn’t get anything out of his receivers. Tennessee’s Jonathan Crompton was able to move the offense through the air, and South Carolina’s Stephen Garcia had a nice game and got the offense in a position to score several times before struggling to close. McCoy is a smarter passer than anyone Bama has seen all season long and he’ll come up with over 300 yards of total offense.

Alabama players and coaches have been saying they understand the recent history of the 1 vs. 2 matchups, and they seem to be well-prepared, but there’s a reason that the “underdogs” end up playing so well in the BCS Championships. For one, they’re in the national championship, so, duh, there’s some semblance of talent in place and the team must be doing something right. Second, yeah, there is a wee bit of the hunger factor. Alabama prepared for an entire year for Florida after its gut-wrenching loss, while Texas still has been preparing for this game ever since it lost the 2008 Big 12 South tie-breaker.

More than anything else, Texas is good. That might seem obvious, but it’s a fact lost on many after what happened against A&M and Nebraska. Alabama isn’t faster than the Longhorns, it isn’t more talented, and it doesn’t have a major advantage anywhere but on the O line, and that’s where McCoy should make the difference. Because of the problems up front, Texas will make McCoy roll out more, get him moving more, and have him take off more than he has done all season long, and after a few drives, that should keep the Tide back just enough to provide the time needed to get the passing game working. Don’t expect a Vince Young Pasadena moment, but expect many to want to change their Heisman votes.

CFN Prediction: Texas 23 … Alabama 19 ... Line: Alabama -4

texass scoring 23 points would be a huge improvement over their only other 2 outings against top 10 defenses this year. And remember we gave them 5 turnovers and they only scored 16.

[budbarrybob]

Until Mike Gundy decided it would be innovative to call for an interception or two or five in the fourth quarter, both of those teams were evenly matched.



IIRC Houston McNutt dialed up 5 turnovers BEFORE McGundy flushed the toilet. OM was hurting themselves more than OSU until the 4th Q IMHO

[S008NER]

ESPN has done a total set up job this week. I swear after listening to them you would swear that the Hook 'em have no chance. I hope bama can come out focused.

[Boooom!]

Texas has not been a unified team this year. There doesnt seem to be any swwwwaaaagggger. And it almost appears that they have simply coasted through the season, barely escaping a few games...

Bama on the other hand is much more unified and much more "together" as a team... This, IMO will make the difference..

And with soooo many commercials - you know, one every 3rd down? . .Texas' faster-paced offense will loose mojo much like OU does in Commercial Bowl Games.