A Bad Night in Kansas

Well, I've been calling it all week: the UT-Kansas State game had all the makings of a potential upset. The game was played in cold Manhattan, Kansas, at night, on ESPN. The Horns had a chance to overtake Florida in the BCS rankings if they looked impressive enough against K-State. Well early on, I knew style points weren't to be had. I could tell that the Horns were going to lose this game in the first quarter. K-State was more physical, more intense and clearly just wanted this win more than Texas. The Horns looked sluggish and uninspired, almost like it was a hassle that they had to play this game. Give credit to Ron Prince and the Wildcats. Coach Prince had his boys ready to play and had them believing that they could knock off the defending national champions. He made some bold calls (two half-back passes in a row) that were executed well and fired up the fans in purple. We'll give him a pass on the boneheaded fake punt call from his own 30-yard line. But when you're overmatched on paper and you have nothing to lose, you have to try to make big plays. K-State did just that.

Ignorant Texas fans will point to the fact the Colt McCoy was hurt on the first offensive series for the Horns and did not return. But offensive production was not the problem. The Texas defense gave up way too many points; Jevan Snead played plenty well to give the Horns a chance, and as a true freshman, Texas could not have asked for anything more from him. I do hope, however, that he can learn to get the ball down some. He threw too many balls to open receivers that were flat out thrown too high. He reminded me of OU's Paul Thompson early in the season.

Moving forward, the Horns still have a chance to clinch their second straight Big XII Championship and in doing so can play in a big time BCS bowl game. They need to regroup before Texas A&M comes to Austin on T+1 (that's the day after Thanksgiving for all you non-Texans). I look for the Horns to get up for the TAMU game and win comfortably. Then it's off to Kansas City for a conference championship matchup against Nebraska.

As a college football fan, you've got to be happy for K-State. They earned this win. They were the better team, clearly. Ron Prince does a great job with those kids.

Here's what Texas Head Coach Mack Brown had to say about the loss:
At Texas there's never a good time to lose, Ohio State wasn't good timing either. What you do is play the best that you can play, do the best you can do and tonight we just didn't win. Half the teams in America feel the same way. I told these kids they should not have their heads down with as many games as they've won in their careers. I think it's emotional every time you lose. It's not good. You put too much into it, you work too hard. The kids are really disappointed but like I said, these kids have lost very few so it's something they're not used to.

Texas fans: get over it. I am. Yes, it's disappointing, but life goes on, even in Texas, even when the Horns lose. We still are in the driver's seat to play in a BCS bowl game broadcast in high-definition. And it's still a great day to be a Texan and a Longhorn fan. There are lots of worse places to live and more disappointing teams to support; speaking of worse places to live and more disappointing teams to support, the ags are coming to the capitol city: AAAAAAAAAAAAAA.....gig 'em, aggies......so ridiculous it's comical. Keep your Horns up, and be happy our cheerleaders aren't dudes from east texas who wear denim overalls with their names painted on!

Moving on to the NFL, the Texans travel to Jacksonville today for their second meeting with the Jaguars. Who cares? I will definitely tune in tonight to NBC to watch the Bears and Giants battle for NFC supremacy.