Refuting the "Spin"

I want to also address some of the media spin about the Tech win...

First, it is great to be getting the attention, but Tech needs to play like underdogs for the rest of the season.  Our dream season is far from over, and no one is going to give Tech props if they don't finish strong.  There is a downside to having "arrived".  We will be expected to win every week, and unless we play like underdogs, we may be the next to get smacked in the mouth.

Now...

"Tech came back in the last seconds to steal one from the Longhorns"...  Uhh... Tech was winning for the whole game, save 1:48 minutes and one drive.  Texas played a great game, but they were on their heels for almost the whole game.  We dominated the front lines, our defense outplayed them for almost the entire game, we won the turnover battle, and won the "get pressure on the QB battle", and except for a couple of huge plays that were affected by questionable calls, we won it all on the field.  We didn't "stun UT with a last second win".  We stunned Texas all day long, starting with the safety on Texas first play.

"The refs never called holding on Tech"... Uhh... the really didn't call holding on anyone.  both teams had huge plays and drives affected by questionable calls.  That is the nature of the beast in the Big 12.  Texas fans lived for awhile last year by calling Leach many un-classy names for questioning the refs last year.  It sucks, I know, to have the refs call some bad calls against you.  Live with it.  We did.  Even last night.

"McCoy lived up to his billing in bringing the Longhorns back from a steep deficit"... Well, he is a great quarterback and that is expected from great quarterbacks.  In the end, poor clock management (which is on the coaches and the quarterback) cost Texas the game.  In the end, the better quarterback gets the "W" in this one.  No one who watched that game, OR who looks at the season stats, can say that Harrell doesn't own the Heisman so far this year without losing some credibility.

"This is a one time glitch in Texas domination of Tech".... Ok, you keep thinking that.  That's what aggie said years ago.  Maybe so.  We'll see.  What ought to keep the Longhorn fans up a few nights is... what if it isn't a glitch in the matrix?  We started our current domination of aggie this way.  First it was the big win... "Remember Zach Thomas?"  Then it turned into - whomever is at home wins, exchanging wins every year.  That lasted for a few.  Now look.  We own aggie.  Maybe that doesn't happen with Texas.  But, then, maybe it does.

"Tech just started their meatgrinder"... Ok, this one is really tired.  Texas starts their meat grinder with Missouri (going by their ranking BEFORE the game), and wants to say theirs lasted 4 games.  Then they discount Tech's win over ranked Kansas, who was and is a very good team.  They want to say, "look where Kansas is now".  Well, I will admit that Texas road was a bit harder, but only because Tech was on the list.  Our meatgrinder started last week against a very, very good ranked Kansas team.  We are now HALF the way through it.  We may lose in the next two games, but I think it is silly and stupid to say that Tech's meatgrinder started with Texas.  Every week from here on out will be a battle for every team in the Big 12 south, you Texas fans do a disservice to yourself and to the toughest division in college football when you downplay strength of schedule for a Big 12 south team.  It is in Texas best interest to talk up both Kansas and Missouri.  You Longhorn fans have Missouri in your wake, but Kansas is still on the horizon.  If you downtalk them now, and they smack you in the mouth, or give you a good game, you'll look silly.  If you dominate them, then it looks better for you if you dominated a really good Kansas team (like Tech did).

This game went a long way towards dispelling the myth that the Big 12 has weak defenses.  This was a defensive battle all day long, with the two best teams in the Big 12 duking it out in the trenches.  That is the right spin for this game.  Defense wins championships, and either of these teams will put up a great and glorious fight when/if we play the SEC (or anyone else) in the National Championship game.

As for me, I am excited to be from Texas.  The State of Texas showed that the best players, and the best teams in the country are from the Big 12... They are from the Big 12 South... they are from the state of Texas.

Semper Tejas,

Peace