From everything I've heard, Ced Benson is the real deal. I would start him immediately, or at the very least give him 15+ carries a game. He is a gamebreaker. The schedule is ridiculously easy. The twin questions for the season are (1) will the team avoid an early stumble against a mediocre opponent and (2) OU. Most of the 63-14 roster is back. If the team survives the first 5 games at 5-0, or even 4-1, they can run the table the rest of the way. ------------------ I'm so amazingly cool you could keep a side of meat in me for a month. I am so hip that I have difficulty seeing over my pelvis.
Isn't that kind of lame to try to win the national championship by playing an easy schedule? ------------------ So you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it's sinking, Racing around to come up behind you again. The sun is the same in a relative way but you're older, Shorter of breath and one day closer to death.
SamCassell: don't expect Benson to move mountains right away. He'll spend the first half of the season learning the system, and adjusting his running style to college. I seriuosly doubt we can mess up against UH, NMSU, or UNC...those teams are horrible. As for OU, I am confident that we will be prepared this year, unlike last year when the Horns strutted in the Cotton Bowl like they owned the damn place and left with their heads between their legs. Remember, OU will start Nate Hybl at QB. Hybl has never started a game before, and the Horns will be the first real test of how his mickey mouse offense does against a REAL defense. BGM: Coincidentally, we rotate between a trio of Mizzou, CU, and KU and NU, KSU, and ISU. So it is not our scheduling that caused this. Next year we play at NU and at KSU. ------------------ "Oh No..." -Bill Walton in 97 just before Stockton's buzzer beater
It's business. A loss is very costly. Everyone tries to schedule "respectable" cupcakes plus one solid opponent in non-conference. Like Baqui said, UT has no control over its conference schedule. [This message has been edited by Smokey (edited July 12, 2001).]
Who are their non-conference games against? ------------------ So you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it's sinking, Racing around to come up behind you again. The sun is the same in a relative way but you're older, Shorter of breath and one day closer to death.
When UNC was originally scheduled (before Mack Brown came here), they were a top 5 team. I don't think this was a purposeful weak schedule. A&M and Colorado were pretty strong at the time as well, although we didn't have any control of that part of the equation. As you can see here: http://www.texassports.com/News+Release/Football/1998/10/15/fbc_future_sched.html Schedules are designed up to 5 years in advance. UT has recently scheduled home-and-home's with Colorado (before joining the Big12), UCLA and Notre Dame and will follow UNC with Ohio State. They seem to follow a pattern of one difficult team. The exception seems to be 2003-4 when the big game is Arkansas, but I'm not sure how good Ark was when scheduled. ------------------ http://www.swirve.com ... more fun than a barrel full of monkeys and midgets. [This message has been edited by shanna (edited July 12, 2001).]
Yeah, every time I see this Scrotum guy, I want to punch him in the face...almost as badly as I want to punch Cato. Turning away players like Major, Mike Bishop, Brees, and now losing stud Freeman...does this guy just like having suck ass QB's? I hope this young stud from Caldwell named Carter, he was the highest rated QB prospect in Texas and black too (that's a first in a long time here) and supposedly has all the talent in the world, well I hope they rebuild right and throw him in the fire. As for Texas, y'all got a damn easy schedule, but wasn't that also the case the last couple of years when y'all supposedly were top 5 teams? I don't know...it's just the preseason. It'll definitely be interesting though.
I'm very excited also. I just wish I could get a damn ticket to the UT-UH game without having to purchase tickets for two other UH football games, dammit! ------------------ "Blues is a Healer" --John Lee Hooker
RC didn't turn away Major. Major decommitted when RC fired A&M's offensive coordinator. I think I read somewhere A&M has had 4 offensive coodinators in 6 years. No one in Texas wanted Brees. You can't really blame RC on that one. There was another stud QB from Beaumont West Brook who committed to A&M, but decided to play baseball instead. There's the guy A&M needs. I don't know about Freeman. It was either Farris or Freeman, RC choose Farris. RC has been a good coach...not great. His great defenses made up for his conservative offenses. RC has a hard time recruiting because he is a crappy offensive coach. Stoops at 0U is a defensive coach, but he spends a lot of time on offense. Unless A&M gets a new coach, their program will keep going down the toilet. ------------------ True Faith
Wait till August 1st when single tickets for the game become available. ------------------ True Faith
Kim, I've heard Carter is a great athlete, but he looked so-so in the Tex/Cali all star game. Of course, that really says nothing. He may have to go the JUCO route also. ------------------ "norm, would you like to buy an indian scalp ? This deal isn't gonna make or break me Norm, so don't jerk me around." Harry Carey "Norm, if I had a mohawk scalp, I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you." [This message has been edited by gr8-1 (edited July 12, 2001).]
Chip Ambres. He just made the Double-A All-Star team, so I don't think you're ever gonna see him in an A&M uniform.
Did you see former UT QB Adam Dunn last night in the Triple A All-Star Game? I'd be happy for the guy, but he ripped UT Football really bad. Simms or Dunn? No question. ------------------ True Faith
I won't be sorry if RC goes, but Aggie fans are fools if they force RC to leave. People don't remember how bad the Aggies were before Sherril and him lead that program to 20+ very good years. I wouldn't mind a return of the Aggies to the old glory of their 70's football program I sure hope Mack Brown got a new D, and especially O coordinator this offseason? The UT coaching staff got their butts coached off against the Ducks (don't blame that fresh, we never, I repeat, never should have been in close game with that team given our far superior talent), Stanford and Okies. Of course the Okies had a much better overall team talent anyway, but the other two loses were inexcusable and the degree OU beat UT was inexcusable. So despite all the great talent and recruiting, until Mack has smart coaches scouting and doing the play calls (instead of himself or last years coordinators) I am not that optimistic for a championship run. One very good thing about last year is it reminds us with good talent and great coaching you can come out of relative no where to win it all (we'll, at least you don't have to be a Florida school, Nebraska or Michigan). Maybe we can take something positive from the Okies triumph last year, reminding us about what is within reach with good talent, a little luck, plus sustained effort and intensity.
NOOOOOOO! I would be very upset if this guy red shirts and transfers like Freeman. This ain't the NFL! You don't have the guy signed to a damn long term deal and the time to groom him. If he has talent and potential, play him now! I don't think Ferris can take A&M to the promised land. Throw Carter into the fire, maybe he'll pull a Vick, maybe not, but we'll never know if he doesn't play. Hey, all y'all longhorns. How do y'all think Major is taking this? It's a pretty conflicting situation. I'm real close to some people in the know last year on y'alls team and went to Austin a few times last year. I remember that at the beginning of the season, after that lost to Stanford, a BUNCH of players, fairly or not, were real pissed at Simms, who also had a spoiled brat reputation. But when I came back at the end of the year, they were all cool with him, even singing kariokee in his room, which was freakin hilarious. It looks like Chris is the MAN now, so I don't know, what's going to happen to Major?
Simms is the man this fall. There won't be any more QB shuffling in the middle of games. His teammates are really cool with him now. I saw him throwing the ball around with Roy and BJ the other day, with Quentin Jammer getting in some defense. Major's got awesome quarterback instincts, but he doesn't have the physical capability to get it done at the next level. He can't scramble, so he has a lot of difficulty against the blitz- remember KSU, Big XII championship, and Cotton Bowl games two years ago? I am a huge Applewhite fan, and I feel really bad for the guy- hell, he'd start anywhere else- I still think he's feeling the effects of the ACL injury from two years back. ------------------ "Oh No..." -Bill Walton in 97 just before Stockton's buzzer beater
Kim, I meant Jason may have troulbe qualifying, but I hope not. Either way, expect him in Colllege Station in two years. You guys are also favored to land Reggie McNeal, a player by all accounts is better then Carter. I've heard that Major's onscreeen persona is fake. He's not as nice or even-keeled as he seems. I won't get into specifics. Chris will do fine, if he isn't looking over his shoulder. He's learning to read defenses and to make better decisions. Iexpect him to have an excellent year. Mack needs to stand his ground. Chris is the starter, end of story. ------------------ "norm, would you like to buy an indian scalp ? This deal isn't gonna make or break me Norm, so don't jerk me around." Harry Carey "Norm, if I had a mohawk scalp, I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you."
A&M needs more than a QB to go to the promised land. I wouldn't be suprised if Mock is number 2 on the depth chart. Mock should get all the mop up duty in case Simms leaves after this season. There shouldn't be a controversy. Mack created a monster last season by trying to alternate QB's. Unless Simms plays as poorly as he did at the beginning of last season, Applewhite will be holding the clipboard. ------------------ True Faith
Exactly. The best way for a young player to learn is to play. Hell, look at Chris Simms. He didn't play well all year until Applewhite got hurt and Simms was able to play through his mistakes. In other words, he wasn't getting yanked for having two or three bad series. As for UT's chemistry, I had never heard that Simms had any problems with his teammates. On the contrary, I'd heard he was quite popular with them.
Here's a little tid bit for you Kagy: the first floor meeting following the loss to Stanford, the person conducting it asked why everyone seemed so pissed off. He did not know they lost a football game. When told, he asked what happened and multiple persons said in unison in disgust, "Chris". I KNOW MANY players did not like him at the begining. That however, has changed. Banquii99, I did not know Roy was back in Austin. He left his "black book" in his room. If you see him, tell him "Captain A-ROON" has it and to come get it.
