Saturday, October 11, 2008

College Sports

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Wednesday, July 30, 2008
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Longhorns Must Navigate Through Tough Schedule
By SHANE STARK
Staff Writer

SAN ANTONIO — Nine bowl opponents.

In the badlands versus en vogue Big 12 South spoiler Texas Tech, led by quick-strike-a-pose hopeful Graham Harrell at quarterback.

Missouri and Kansas, archrivals which together remained alive in national title hunt until the waning moments last year, invading from the north.

The Red River Rivalry — no matter the official name, intends to always remain a shootout.

Texas A&M’s Mike Sherman taking the first steps toward becoming the next Pete Carroll.

And, Cobra Kai?

No, but Texas football coach Mack Brown knows the Longhorns have a Mr. Miyagi-esque chore awaiting them this fall. With his tenure at UT turning a decade old, Brown looked back to put the upcoming work in perspective.

“It’s the toughest schedule since we’ve been in Austin,” he said.

The statement came as Brown spoke with reporters during the second day of the THSCA Coaching School and All-Star Games on Tuesday. Just over two hours after Sherman approached the microphone as a former NFL guy, Brown arrived as the Miyagi of Texas college football — the voice of wisdom, the national champion.

No matter where one looks, though, the Longhorns have suddenly moved into the back seat of the Big 12. Oklahoma and Missouri — and, perhaps, others — are in front navigating. Headlines have made mention this summer, including the seemingly-puzzled Kansas City Star last week: “Strange new world, Texas appears to be an underdog.”

The Longhorns went 10-3 last season, their seventh straight season to record double-digit victories. Not to mention they finished No. 10 in the final Associated Press and Coaches polls, just after sticking a fork in the Arizona State Sun Devils, 52-34, in the Holiday Bowl.

Still, there are question marks in the running game, the secondary and on the defense in general — finished 56th in the nation last year (371.2 yards per game) and 76th in points allowed (24.6 per game). All helped provide a fourth-place showing in the conference’s pre-season media poll, and will force Brown to continue finding answers when the players report Sunday.

Having found many following the upset loss to Texas A&M — “I had to have answers, not questions” — Brown has opportunity for even more, quickly, during the next several months. Just look at the schedule.

  • UT begins the season Aug. 30 at home versus Florida Atlantic (first bowl team). The game will mark FAU coach Howard Schellenberger’s first visit to Austin since his days at Oklahoma.

  • The Longhorns will make their first road appearance Sept. 6 under the stars (9:15 p.m. kickoff) against UTEP, which finished 4-8 last season and returns seven starters from a defense that ranked 117th in the nation last season.

  • The hated Arkansas Razorbacks (second) — minus drafted running backs Darren McFadden and Felix Jones — will head into Austin on Sept. 13, hoping to avenge a 22-20 defeat to the Longhorns in 2004.

  • Rice and second-year coach David Bailiff will be at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Sept. 22. Though one-sided (UT has won the past three meetings by a combined score of 161-31), the Owls view their annual meeting with the Longhorns as a rivalry game.

  • Up next the Longhorns will be at Colorado (third), which is expected to contend for another bowl bid. CU is where freshman Darrell Scott, the nation’s top prep running back last season, turned his attention on signing day after leaning toward Texas earlier on.

  • The RRR versus Oklahoma (fourth) at the Cotton Bowl is next. With OU expected to be a consensus top five team, the Longhorns will have plenty to get excited about against their archrival from across the river.

  • On Oct. 18, Heisman finalist Chase Daniel and Missouri (fifth) will arrive at Royal-Texas Memorial a newly-branded team. Not much has changed in expectations for the highly-ranked Tigers, who last season were a victory away from playing in the conference championship.

  • Oklahoma State’s (sixth) Mike Gundy will be in Austin the next week with his own boys in orange. The Longhorns might wan to watch out, because Gundy is admittedly a man — and will be more even more so when he turns 41 next month.

  • Texas Tech (seventh) is a darling for pundits this season. Following a 9-4 campaign they capped with a Gator Bowl victory, the Red Raiders have even been mentioned in the breath of national championship contender.

  • New head coach Art Briles has brought excitement to the football community at Baylor, which has been starving for success since the beginning of the Big 12. Though Baylor can serve as an exhausting challenge for any coach, Briles had three winning teams in five years at Houston.

  • The second new face of the Big 12 North will be waiting Nov. 15. The Kansas Jayhawks (eighth), whose coach once went on a verbal tirade about Texas and the BCS, are national players after reaching the conference championship and upsetting Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl last season.

  • Texas A&M (ninth) will be on deck Thanksgiving Day. A&M, loser of four of their last five, shocked UT, 38-30, in Dennis Franchione’s last game in Aggieland.


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