I hate to admit that I was not expecting today to go well for our up and coming new generation of Boys to Men as the old band title goes. Oklahoma is always a barometer of the quality of the Texas team. They are a team always in the national picture, and they are used to being in the driver's seat. It takes a well prepared Texas unit to compete and win against our opponents to the north, even when their team is mostly or heavily comprised of Texas product.
The beginning was just classic with each team taking turns scoring, Texas scored on every possession in the first half, except the last one which they only got the kickoff with a few seconds left. The third was almost magical with three unanswered touchdowns, the game almost got a little boring. By the start of the fourth, I was feeling like it was time for a good ole siesta. The Longhorns looked like they just needed to keep running the ball a couple more series and time would run out. Thinking the game was over was stupid o my part, but I got up too early and was paying for it now. I got sleepy and closed my eyes for five minutes and suddenly Oklahoma has somehow scored twice and the game is about tied. The final minutes of the game were the kind that age a man. The Longhorns came out with the ball on the last 1:40 seconds or something like that. They took the ball to the 32 or something like that and then with 19 seconds, they put the entire game and put it on the shoulders of a freshman kicker.
Had he missed, the game would have gone into overtime and you just never know what could happen, it gets crazy then. I did learn something though. In watching my son's games and like this past week when it was a blowout, I was thinking that the other team should show some class and quit scoring, bring in the B team or something. Texas didn't exactly bring in the B team, but once they got ahead by three touchdowns in the 2nd half, they lost their focus. They wanted to change playing style and just run the ball to move the clock quicker. They are and have been for a long time, a team that relies on passing as much as or more than running the ball. It is riskier to throw the ball, but it was with those risky chances that you took passing earlier in the game that got you ahead. Mercy, it seems, does not belong on the football field. As soon as Texas relaxed, Oklahoma mounted a comeback and we almost lost a game that looked like it was under control by halftime.
Although it seems ugly, once you got your foot on the opponent's neck, do not let go. Football is a game very much embedded with emotions and even when a team is down, if they feel a bit of a rally, like they could come back if they get this or that to happen, then that usually happens and the team that started out hot does not always stay hot and in control. I am just glad Texas can walk away with this one as a win, it is certainly a big time win and makes it seem like the program might finally be in good hands under Coach Herman.
No comments:
Post a Comment