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Ringo: Don't count out Texas Tech, OSU
The Red River Shootout between Texas and Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl is always one of the most important regular season games in the Big 12 each year, but it might not carry the same weight this season as in the recent past.
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Oklahoma is ranked No. 1 in the nation and Texas is No. 5. So you might be asking yourself what I was smoking before writing this.
Here is what I'm getting at. This game basically has been a play-in to the Big 12 title game throughout much of the young history of the conference. While it will certainly play a part in deciding the South Division representative in Kansas City in the first week of December, the winner won't be quite the sure thing it has been in years past.
The South Division has a couple other programs that are coming on strong this year.
Texas Tech and Oklahoma State both have solid teams and can't be easily dismissed at this point in the season the way other Big 12 South teams were in the past.
The Red Raiders are ranked No. 7 in the nation and are always a handful for any defense. Oklahoma State is ranked No. 17 in the Associated Press poll and appears to be an offensive juggernaut in a league filled with powerhouse offenses.
This year the winner of the Tech-OSU game Nov. 8 in Lubbock, Texas, could have just as much to do with deciding the South champion as Saturday's brouhaha. The winner of the Shootout has gone on to play in the championship game in eight of the first 12 years of Big 12 play. On two other occasions the loser of the game still found a way to the play for the championship. The only other South team to play in the Big 12 championship is Texas A&M and the Aggies haven't been there since 1998.
I'll be watching the scoreboard Saturday with interest in the grudge match between the two old rivals, but regardless of who wins, I'm not counting on seeing them in Kansas City.
On the other hand, it would be a shocker if Missouri wasn't the representative from the North, especially after seeing the Tigers destroy Nebraska in Lincoln. Coach Gary Pinkel's team appears to be in a league of its own in the north.
Big yellow
for Big Red
Nebraska is charging hard toward setting a new single-season record for penalties and plenty of the miscues have been the kind that really bother coaches.
Only four Division I teams have committed more penalties than the Huskers to date. Coach Bo Pelini's team has been flagged 46 times in five games, an average of more than nine a week.
Eight of those penalties have been personal fouls. One was an unsportsmanlike conduct on Pelini for a sideline outburst and one was a roughing the passer call. All of this from an outfit Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel said was the dirtiest he had faced. After beating the Huskers on Saturday, Daniel said an unnamed Cornhusker spit on him before the game.
Pelini said he reviewed film and didn't find evidence of the incident, but he talked to his team about it. He also phoned Missouri coach Gary Pinkel and both now consider it a dead issue.
The 2003 and 2005 Nebraska teams tied for the program record with 89 penalties.
"They've got to play more disciplined," Pelini said. "Once again, that comes from me, the staff. I really can't comment on officiating, but we need to play smarter."
Nebraska will be trying to fix the problem this week as it goes on the road for the first time this season.
Yep, that's right. It's the middle of October and the Cornhuskers haven't left the friendly confines of Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. They travel to Texas Tech, a program that has scored 104 points against the Huskers in the past two meetings combined.
Tough guy
Plenty of folks in Colorado seem to be questioning whether quarterback Cody Hawkins is the long-term solution for the Buffs, but Hawkins has an admirer in Kansas coach Mark Mangino, who pointed to injuries on the CU offensive line as reason for Hawkins' recent struggles.
"I think he's hung in there," Mangino said. "I think he's a competitive, tough kid. He took some vicious shots last week that we watched on tape, and he jumped right back up and was ready to go.
"You like hard-nosed competitive guys like that."
Numbers game
.817 -- The combined winning percentage for Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops and Texas coach Mack Brown during their current tenures. Stoops is 102-22 in his 10th season with the Sooners, and Brown is 108-25 in his 11th season leading the Longhorns. Stoops is 6-3 against Brown.
Short yardage
Players of the week in the Big 12 were Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell (offense), Oklahoma's Keenan Clayton and Texas' Roy Miller (defense) and Oklahoma State's Dez Bryant (special teams). ...
OU is the only team in the nation to not lose a fumble yet this season. ...
CU defensive backs Ryan Walters and Cha'pelle Brown are first and third respectively in the conference in tackles by defensive backs. ...
Missouri tailback Derrick Washington leads the nation in scoring with 14.4 points per game. ...
Harrell became the leading passer in conference history last week and hasn't thrown an interception in 144 attempts. ...
Oklahoma State has scored more than 50 points in four straight games and will try to tie the school record with a fifth this week at Mizzou.
Who is hot
Two Kansas receivers have produced 100-yard receiving days in each of the past four games. Kerry Meier is second in the nation in receptions and has three consecutive 100-yards games. Five different players have been involved in the streak Colorado hopes to stop this week.
Who is not
Colorado quarterback Cody Hawkins has completed just 30 of 69 passes in the past two weeks for 272 yards four touchdowns and one interception in two losses. Hawkins has been sacked six times, hurried six times and had 11 passes broken up in that span. We should note he has faced two of the best defensive fronts in the college game and his offensive line has lost two starters to season-ending injuries in that time.
Funny pages
For a good laugh or just to waste some more time at work visit this address this week to watch a spoof on the Chase Daniel-Nebraska spitting controversy: www.everydayshouldbesatur-
day.com/2008/10/06/chase-daniel-encounters-the-second-
Posted by nepabuff on October 7, 2008 at 6:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Mangino, you old fox.
Making public comments supporting the QB so he remains the starter.
Posted by buffalo_flyer on October 7, 2008 at 6:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
yeah, cody obviously has more charactor in his duff than we'll ever get from kenny
Posted by nepabuff on October 7, 2008 at 7:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Did you Notice a couple of years ago Mangino pulled his QB and started Reesing?
The rest is history.
Posted by rodrigo on October 7, 2008 at 7:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Today's challenge: A free yellow t-shirt to toss for anyone who can guess the genius who posted these comments:
June 13: “Pelini probably will win 8 or more games this season. He's a winner with lots of experience in Big time college football. He'll compete well against big 12 talent.”
Later June 13: “Pelini wins a minimum of 8 games.
Wins Western Michigan San Jose State New Mexico State Virginia Tech Iowa State Baylor Kansas Kansas State
Toss ups Missouri Texas Tech Colorado
Losses Oklahoma”
June 17: “Anyone that doesn't think Bo will make a huge turn around on defense this season is just biased.”
Biased, indeed. Nice shutout, nepa. And another one of those toss-up games coming this weekend.
Posted by buff4life on October 7, 2008 at 8:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
is it me or does anyone else find it funny, or kinda strange, that a loyal devoted husker fan sets his alarm for 5am, mountain time, to be one of the first to make silly comments in the COLROADO BUFFALOES chat room. get a life, or a job or even better yet a therapist to help you get some closure from 62-36, my sick lil pathetic red friend.....you are right though, reesing did come last year and ku beat CU 19-14, good reporting kenny now try and report what happened when them same jawhawks played nebraska last season, i bet you forgot about that game, your continuing 'selective' memory just confirms your 'schmuck' label....players spitting on other players and all those penalties-at least nebraska is good at something in the big 12, lol......the HUSKER 'legacy' has now become: players spitting on players, coaches making 'throat slash' jestures and threatening referees and other coaches, offensive lineman headbutting other team's bandmembers and coaches instructing players to play 'dirty'----WOW, THE POWER OF RED IS AWESOME BABY!!! yup, you are right kenny, the rest is history....lol.....65-51 cornboy...lol....
Posted by nepabuff on October 7, 2008 at 8:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I actually get up at 4:30 am to beat the crowd down at the local gym.
You should try it, it's a great start to the day.
Posted by BuffSteve on October 7, 2008 at 8:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Yeah, that does seem kind of odd. Rather obsessed isn't he? I wonder if he is a stalker? LOL
Posted by Saheeb on October 7, 2008 at 8:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Texas Tech always climbs up the polls only to reveal itself the pretender that it is. Mike Leach is a boorish, arrogant luddite. They'll lose 2-3 before season ends, no doubt. I don't think you've got it right on them, Ringo. OU and UT are far better and well rounded.
Posted by buff4life on October 7, 2008 at 8:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
......based on your 'sillyness' i would look out for falling dumbbells.....and texas tech always fades as the season goes....here is one for you to research kenny--find out what big 12 north team went into lubbick with a frosh qb and beat the red raiders?..can the nebs beat tech with a senior qb??and does texas tech and the number 77 give you PTSD???....it will be intersting to see the ou v texas game and find out what team we will be playing in the big 12 title game, after we 'run the table' and win the north......BELIEVE.....
Posted by nepabuff on October 7, 2008 at 9:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)
OU will probably win.
All their players are healthy and will play this week.
Posted by greeleybuff on October 7, 2008 at 9:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
good stuff Rodrigo!!
Nepa works out??? ya right!!
Nepa ignoring buff4life questions?? you can answer those questions nepa they are real easy
nepa predicts OU win this week, raise your hand if you give a rats a$$??
Love the buffs!!! I better go work out now!!
Posted by nepabuff on October 7, 2008 at 10:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
You should try it Greeley.
Maybe give you a different outlook on life and change that miserable personality of yours a little.
I don't even read buff4life's rambles beyond a sentence or two.
Just a suggestion.
Posted by coffman4heisman on October 7, 2008 at 11:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Does anyone else think Mangino looks like a combination of Chef Boyardee and Don Vito?
Posted by Saheeb on October 7, 2008 at 11:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
coffman4heisman: hilarious. I think Mangino ate Chef Boyardee so he must be Don Vito. Bo Pelini is Barney Phiff, I swear.
Posted by buff4life on October 7, 2008 at 11:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
nepabuff calling someone else "miserable"???, i think neb fans have "cornered the market' on feeling miserable over the past decade. only notre dame fans have had it worse and even they can say they have beaten a team better than san jose state this season and last. hey nepa--does that 330 yards of total offense v new mexico still making you feel good??....and how is that research coming on when was the last time nebraska beat ou or texas???there has to a be a big 8 program somewhere on the lincoln campus and if you try 'google' be careful bro or your computer might start smoking---it has a hard time processing 'outdated' material.....
Posted by vegasbufffan on October 7, 2008 at 1:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The Nebraska bitter retard is besides himself.
Someone gave Cody a compliment, your whole body must be shaking.
Any medications for a retard going nuts???
Posted by GoBuffs07 on October 7, 2008 at 1:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Cody needs to either sit or get a booster chair while back there. He can't see over anyone
Posted by vegasbufffan on October 7, 2008 at 1:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Mangino is a coach, knows our OL is riddle with injuries. He has to observe realisticly to try and play CU effectively. The trolls are just idle talk venting as they can't get medication for their personal problems.
That's about it boys. Don't make their problems ours.
Posted by Dizonrocks on October 7, 2008 at 2:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
GoBuffs07...I'm sure even a brainiac like you would agree that if a QB "can't see over anyone", they wouldn't have thrown for over 3,000 yards in a season like Cody did...that pretty much blows your theory out of the water, right? not to mention, I believe he's now thrown 23 TD and 1 Interception in the Red Zone...
Posted by mgmtgrad on October 7, 2008 at 5:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Put Cody behind a top ten team's O-line and then judge him. Untill then it's apples and lemonaid.
Marcus J
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