Dear Texas, Stop Whining: A Brief College Football Rant

by ucla84 on Aug 23, 2009 7:07 AM PDT Comment 33 comments

Please allow me to rant for a moment. This might seem off-topic, but with the 2009 football season about to start, and with the special place the University of Texas football program should hold in all our hearts, I think it fits here.

That's especially true since I finally blew a gasket while driving home from the Fall Scrimmage, listening to some sports talk host or other do his Big 12 preview, with guest after guest yammering incessantly about how they thought Oklahoma has better talent than Texas, but that Texas will win the Red River Shootout this year because of its motivation to right the wrong that was done to it last year.

This is a love letter to a (sort of) friend.

Dear Texas,

Bruin Nation loves you. Seriously. You've been responsible for so many of our favorite football moments over the last dozen years.

That 2006 Rose Bowl? Our favorite football game of the last decade that didn't involve any Bruins.

Those games we played in 1997 and ‘98? You were so generous. We can't thank you enough for the 115 points and the jumpstart on a pretty nice, if ultimately unfulfilling, run. We can hardly wait to see you again next year, when everything should be right again in our world. It'll be fun.

Sometimes, however, you have to practice tough love. We like to think we're your friends here in Bruin Nation, so Longhorns, it hurts to have to say this to you, but...

Shut up. Stop whining. Accept reality. You didn't get jobbed last year. You got exactly - exactly - what you deserved. You did not deserve to play in the Big 12 championship game. Oklahoma did. You need to move on and accept that the system, lame as it usually as, actually worked.

You disagree? Okay, let's take a look at your argument, which - and correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm not - goes like this: We beat Oklahoma. We finished with the same record as Oklahoma, both in conference play and overall. Therefore, using head-to-head competition as a tiebreaker, we go to the big Big 12 dance.

That's it right? Okay, I'll accept that.

And I'm sure you'll accept that, by your own logic, Texas Tech was the rightful Big 12 South champ last year. After all, they beat you. They finished the regular season - when the tiebreaker was decided - with the same record as you, both in conference play and overall. Therefore, using head-to-head competition as a tiebreaker, they go to the big Big 12 dance.

But Tech's only loss was an unholy trashing, you say. They got roasted by six touchdowns and change. Therefore, they don't count for tiebreaking purposes, right?

You did notice, didn't you, that the team you lost to got ripped by 44 points in its only loss...by Oklahoma. How does that not factor into the tiebreaking equation?

The Big 12 South ended in a three-way tie last year. Among those three teams, the round robin ended up tied, with everybody going 1-1. That means that the only fair way to break the tie is by comparing those three games. Okay, let's compare point differentials over those three games:

#1 Oklahoma: +34 points
#2 Texas: +4 points
#3 Texas Tech: -38 points

You lose. Of course, that huge point spread in the OU-Tech game really distorts things. Just to be safe, let's compare yardage gained and given up in those three games, shall we?

#1 Oklahoma: +213 yards
#2 Texas Tech: -14 yards
#3 Texas: -202 yards

Ouch. Now you really lose. Oh, and I know what you're thinking: But you're not counting return yards, which would be huge for us, since Jordan Shipley ran off that 96-yard KO return against OU. Don't bother, Horns. You had 165 return yards against the Sooners. They had 210 against you. That kinda overcompensates for the 3 yards of total offense you rolled them by, don't it?

Take down that stupid asterisk you've posted in Austin. Acknowledge reality. If you'd have played the whole season the way you played most of it, you would have gotten what you wanted last year. Texas - you're starting to sound like a certain junior college Vince Young once facedanced all over. Do you really want to sink to that level?

Look, we like you, Texas. At least we do for another 376 days. But we're sick of hearing you complain about how you wuz wronged. You wuzn't. You got exactly what you deserved last year.

It's time to move on.

With (tough) love,

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.

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Very Humorous.

I particularly liked the part about their generous donation of 115 points to our record books in the late 90s.

The only thing I would add is that Texas was behind in the Red River Rivalry last year when one of OU’s Defensive Stalwarts went down to injury. IRC, it was a turning point in the game and Texas came back from 10 points down to retake the lead?

A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment. John Wooden

by MexiBruin on Aug 23, 2009 11:22 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

LOL

Tell us how you really feel. I think this kind of stuff will bug me lot more in next 2-3 years when we should have our team in BCS discussions. I am expecting that to happen.

by Nestor on Aug 23, 2009 12:54 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Concur, Nestor

I’m resisting the urge to go off about how we got jobbed in 1998 – and boy did we get jobbed.

by ucla84 on Aug 23, 2009 1:55 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Don't get me started about 1998

Seeing Tom Hansen’s impotent efforts to get us into a BCS game … and then watching Syracuse and Kansas State playing in that Fiesta Bowl. Aaaagh.

by Nestor on Aug 23, 2009 2:13 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Austin Texas Is Whine Country

By all rights, if I were rooting for a Texas team, it should be UT. Good school in a great college town.

However, I can’t bring myself to root for UT because I just can’t stand the constant whining when they don’t get what they want.

And, at least once, Mac Brown was able to whine himself into a BCS game ahead of a Pac 10 team — he jumped a team that had a bye after pulling out all stops in a public display of whininess.

Sorry, that’s like those guys on the Bachelorette who cry when they get sent home.

Down here, we have a saying “Cowboy up.” and Texas should live by it.

sjh

PS. In the last couple of years, Brown’s teams have been emulating sc — lots of arrests. There was a joke going around here:

What do you call 11 Texas football players standing around? -- A line up.

sjh

by Class of 66 on Aug 23, 2009 5:15 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Yep

Cal got robbed off a BCS bowl game because of Mack Brown’s “smooth campaigning.”

Of course just like 1998 Tom Hansen completely failed to stick up for the conference.

by Nestor on Aug 24, 2009 5:56 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Learned behavior...

With the lacking history of Hanson and the Pac-10 leadership in sticking up for member schools, as well as the MSM ignorance of Pac-10 teams not named u$c, is it any surprise that coaches will take the initiative when their interests come up against ours (in the conference-wide sense).

That said, as likely the biggest Horns backer here – my family’s history with UT dates back to the late 1890’s, and having grown up in the Bay Area, needing a legit CFB team to follow – Mack Brown’s whining to ESPN et al was simply classless and highly disappointing to have seen.

by bruinhoo on Aug 24, 2009 1:59 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Meh, Cal's argument

rings real hollow to me. Sure, they got ‘jobbed’ out of a BCS bowl game. What did they then do? Proceed to get spanked by Texas Tech in the Holiday Bowl. Now, if Cal had spanked Texas Tech, the Big 12 and Texas would probably take Cal’s argument more seriously, but you can’t lose to the 3rd place team in the conference (a team that Texas beat 51-21 that same year, might I add) and then claim ‘we wuz robbed’.

Yeah, I get the whole ‘letdown’ thing, but Cal came out fast in that game and then just got run over – I hardly think it was a ‘letdown’. Cal was just annihilated.

by CAJason80 on Aug 25, 2009 2:12 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

"most deserving team" and "best matchup/team entering the bowl" not necessarally the same

Part of Cal’s problem was not as much the letdown surrounding the BCS controversy, but the fact that they had lost both starting WR’s to injuries in the final weeks of the conference season. By the Holiday Bowl, even with Aaron Rodgers under center, Cal posed little threat to Tech through the air. That does not explain or excuse Cal’s D stinking up the joint, but just to note that the Cal team that entered that game was not the same team that was just a failed 4th-and goal against $c from earning an MNC bid.

If the BCS were to take the NCAA tourney approach and take injuries and personnel changes into account, in addition to the final set of BCS rankings, then the Texas pick would have been far more defensible.

by bruinhoo on Aug 26, 2009 4:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I do believe that Cal deserved to be there, but not over Texas. The problem is that Michigan didn’t deserve to be there.

by burntorangehorn on Aug 28, 2009 8:05 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hello. If you want to know Texas' actual argument, please read this.

http://www.burntorangenation.com/2008/11/22/668212/attention-human-voters-the

I wrote it last year after the OU/Tech thrashing. There were arguments to be made for both Texas and Oklahoma. We obviously thought the arguments weighed in favor of us. You don’t, clearly. But we’d appreciate acknowledgement that there’s more than one way to think about this. And actually, in the end, a very slight majority of human voters agreed with us over you. We got done in by the computers, which slightly favored OU largely based on their stronger out-of-conference schedule (who would have had Cincinnati winning the Big East going into last year?).

Regardless, yes it pains us to think about last year and how we were 1 dropped interception away from the national championship game and how, even after that dropped interception and last second TD, we believe it to be unfair that Oklahoma got that shot rather than us (just FYI: Florida beat OU by 10 on a neutral field and so did Texas). But for the most part, the players and the fans have moved on. You keep hearing about this nonsense because sportswriters need something to hype. Please don’t confuse them with us. Thanks.

by billyzane on Aug 26, 2009 10:13 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Oh, also...

You’re welcome for beating USC and as painful as Rout 66 was, at least it ran John Mackovic the hell out of town. So thanks for that.

by billyzane on Aug 26, 2009 10:18 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

One of my favorite things about that RB game

Besides the hilarious heartbreak on the faces of the SUCsters when VY scampered into the endzone was that it revealed the true character of the overrated and classless Matt Whineart.

“We still think we’re the better team”

Fuck you, Matt. The scoreboard said otherwise. His subsequent shitty NFL career couldn’t have happened to a better guy.
I still got love for UT. You guys are alright in my book.

by Tydides on Aug 26, 2009 11:23 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not to mention

the infamous cheeleader incident. “YAY, they scored!”

But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.

by tasser10 on Aug 26, 2009 11:36 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I believe the official trOJan explanation of that is

that she was cheering because the trOJans would get the ball back. The fact that they got the ball back with eight seconds to go apparently didn’t figure into her thought process. I’m not making that up – I actually read it somewhere. I would check Wikipedia under “just$c* deans list cheerleaders,” but I must go.

by Fox 71 on Aug 26, 2009 8:05 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

The actual argument is "we won on a neutral field"?

Does that count for something? Sure. Does it make up for the fact that OU easily had the best overall showing in the three-game round robin? Not even close.

“Texas lost on a touchdown pass with 1 second left in the game (1 play after dropping a sure-thing interception) on the road. Advantage Texas.” Acknowledging that this comes from someone who is perpetually dying to say, “We lost to Miami on a horrifically blown fumble call in a game we absolutely deserved to win,” that dog won’t hunt. Texas got outplayed all game – again, outgained by a 200-spot – and lost.

You were right, Billy. Texas had a great mid-season stretch. OU had a mindblowing late-season stretch, given those five straight 60+ games.

Dang, I hope the fans have moved on, but it doesn’t feel like it. I heard one too many whines last Saturday night, after hearing too many of them during the off-season, and though I (and I think everyone here) has a ton of respect for Texas, it’s become tiring. There are (or were) arguments to be made for Texas, but they were ridiculously weaker than the arguments in favor of OU.

On the other hand, we feel your pain. (Repeat after me gang: "Brad Melsby did not fumble. Brad Melsby did not fumble!!!)

Thanks again for the 2006 Rose Bowl – it’s the gift that keeps on giving. (Am I the only one on this board who likes to dole out the occasional Hook ‘Em Horns to a trOJan?) But rather than thanking us for Mackovic, couldn’t you have done something about Toledo for us around 2000? (I’m not going to run down one of our own.)

The series the next two years is going to be awesome.

by ucla84 on Aug 26, 2009 9:12 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

You're argument seems to be that OU's Offense was better than Texas'.

Okay, I may disagree with that a bit because Texas pulled back a bit late in games while OU did not. The reason for that was, mostly, that Texas had a much better defense than OU and OU had to keep scoring points to maintain their lead. Either that or Bob Stoops is a classless clown. Whichever. Regardless, let’s assume for the sake of argument that OU’s offense was better than Texas’. No one really disagrees that Texas’ defense was better than OU’s.

Now, is there a neutral way of determining whether OU’s offensive superiority over Texas was greater than Texas’ defensive superiority over OU? Why yes there is! They played each other on a neutral field and Texas scored more points than OU did! Obviously, that’s not the only thing that should have gone into the decision of who won the tiebreaker, but I’m merely trying to refute your argument, not every argument.

And also, please don’t confuse this with more whining. I am not whining. What happened, happened; it’s in the past. I’m merely responding to your arguments.

by billyzane on Aug 27, 2009 9:16 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Additionally...

"Texas lost on a touchdown pass with 1 second left in the game (1 play after dropping a sure-thing interception) on the road. Advantage Texas." Acknowledging that this comes from someone who is perpetually dying to say, "We lost to Miami on a horrifically blown fumble call in a game we absolutely deserved to win," that dog won’t hunt. Texas got outplayed all game – again, outgained by a 200-spot – and lost.

I don’t know why you keep pointing to yards gained as some measure of success. They’re great and all, but points are the only thing that actually matters. For instance in 2005 Texas beat Texas Tech 52-17, but Tech actually outgained Texas 468-444. So by your logic, Tech actually outplayed Texas even though Texas won by 35 points. Doesn’t make any sense.

And beyond that, one of your main points in the initial post was about how great OU’s margin of victory was. That’s fine and all, but you can’t parade margin of victory around as some barometer of how good a team is and not also take into account margin of defeat. Texas was winning the game until there was one second on the clock. Texas did not win and we shouldn’t have gotten credit for winning. But we should get credit for exactly what happened. We dropped a sure thing interception and then gave up a semi-miracle TD on the next play. That’s all I’m saying.

And finally, I don’t mean to be rude because most of your points have same shred of viability even if I disagree with them, but this is just asinine:

Oh, and I know what you’re thinking: But you’re not counting return yards, which would be huge for us, since Jordan Shipley ran off that 96-yard KO return against OU. Don’t bother, Horns. You had 165 return yards against the Sooners. They had 210 against you. That kinda overcompensates for the 3 yards of total offense you rolled them by, don’t it?

Texas kicked the ball off 9 times in the game and punted 4 times (that’s 13 opportunities for OU to get return yardage). OU kicked the ball off 6 times and punted 3 times, a total of 9 opportunities to get return yardage. That’s 18.33 yards per return for Texas and 16.15 yards per return for OU. Which would you rather have? I’ll gladly take the extra points we got that forced us to kick off more often (and the times we actually punted instead of desperately trying and failing at a fake punt) in exchange for a few fewer return yards than OU. Like I said, it’s the points, not the yards.

by billyzane on Aug 27, 2009 1:03 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

A note for Texas fans who are coming over here

Welcome. If you are coming here to engage respectfully (see billyzane’s comment above) then it is all good. However, if you come here and start a flame war by attacking our coaches or anyone associated with UCLA in our community, we will not tolerate it.

Similarly my request to all BNers who go over to other SBN blogs, engage respectfully in someone else’s community. There is no reason for flamefests in SBN communities because there is enough of that rubbish on message boards. Thanks.

by Nestor on Aug 26, 2009 1:56 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Esteemed Gentlemen and Ladies of Bruins Nation

First off, let me say that I do understand the rant. I’ve waged the same war of words with many a burnt-orange alum whose aged feathers were ruffled by the outcome of last season. Indeed, our fate was sealed mere moments after the loss in Lubbock. Does it hurt? Yes. Were we outraged? Of course. Are we still…? No.

Like Gloria Gaynor (and John McCrea’s excellent homage to the hit), we did survive, and we are thriving. We’re done crying in our beer, reliving the pain, and we’re ready to come out hitting next week. I would agree with BZ’s post above, that the continued, agonizing argument about last season’s results is the result of preseason hype. We, too, at the BON are sick and tired of reading the blogs and listening to the radio commentators tell us and everyone else how upset we are.

All things aside, we miss you, Bruins Nation, and we can’t wait to come visit next season. We love roadtrips, as you might find from 54b’s serials on traveling, and this looks to be a good one.

See you all soon,
M.A.

by The Mack Attack on Aug 26, 2009 8:30 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

We can't wait till we get to Austin

Going up against Texas will be awesome. We are hoping by then our football program will be reestablished by the current coaching staff.

by Nestor on Aug 27, 2009 4:32 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

That WILL Be A Great Series

Without a doubt it’ll be one of the marquee matchups in the country.

Los Angeles Rams and the UCLA Bruins!!!!!

by Minnesota Bruinfan on Aug 27, 2009 8:45 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I love this site

and UCLA is one of my all time favorite teams. Nester’s comment above alone separates you guys from many out there.

While I admit that some horns fans are whining, and I don’t agree with that, I think it is hard to say what anyone deserved last year. Lots of ambiguity in the BCS when major programs are clumped together with 1 loss. I just don’t think it was clear.

So, while I respect your opinion, and can’t really definatively prove that we deserved to be in the title game, I think the certainty about us getting “Exactly” what we deserved is a little much.

However, the majority of the Burnt Orange Nation has definately moved on. Only a few stragglers and a media looking for an angle of drama remain.

I echo the sentiments of BZ and MA above that I can’t wait for you guys to be on our schedule. Also, in all seriousness, the woopin you put on us that sealed Makovic’s fate….. best 50 point loss in school history. You guys will always have a special place in my heart.

Good luck in ’09!

"A lot of people look for the easy way to do anything, in swimming there is no easy way." - Eddie Reese

P.S. 45-35

by SwimTexas on Aug 29, 2009 11:39 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Longhorn here

Just ditto to BZ and MA. That pretty much sums it up. We can’t wait to get this season going and get that annoying monkey off our shoulder.

I can’t wait to play you Bruins again. I was at the game in Austin and I have never seen us whipped like that. Still hurting. We can’t wait to see y’all again, but please don’t expect us to be such generous hosts next time. Good luck this year.

by Wrangler86 on Aug 27, 2009 3:06 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Just a couple of points from another Longhorn...

has anyone asked Neuheisel why he voted Texas #1 on his final regular season coaches’ ballot? I’m sure he has his reasons. Most of us are ready to move on. And tie break issue aside, there were a number of non-Longhorn fans who also felt that Texas probably should have gotten the nod. I will also briefly mention that OU beat Tech at home. Why does it matter? In the abstract it does not. However, do you know what happened the last two times OU played Tech on the road in 2005 and 2007? Yep, you got it…Tech beat OU both times. So, does a loss on a neutral field or a loss on the road make a difference? And would have Tech done better against OU if they were playing at home? We’ll never know, but it is at least some food for thought. Best of luck this season.

by Longhorn-DC on Aug 28, 2009 11:17 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Ditto to that to LDC

The difference between the away loss and the neutral field win seems lost on lots of folks.

I never really thought about this before, but just how long does it take to get from UCLA to USC?

Not that we play OU SUX in Norman, but did you know that Norman is as far away from Austin as Lubbock…..342 vs. 332 miles. And, Lubbock is a pretty dang hostile crowd.

Football Season 2009 starts in 8 days—here’s to finally getting 2008 in the past.

by Wrangler86 on Aug 28, 2009 2:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

UCLA plays in the Rose Bowl

So it’s nearly an hour drive from campus for us anyhow. (I assume you’re considering the location of the game). Much as I love the Rose Bowl, it’s practically a neutral-site game in regards to fan attendance from either side.

by Harsha on Aug 28, 2009 3:43 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks

I truly was just curious of the dynamics of that game. Would it be a godd game for a vacation trip—do you recommend it or is there another west coast game that you recommend?

It is hard to grasp how big Texas is as a state, and y’all kind of have the opposite with your rival so close, although statewide you are in a similar situation.

I’m sure you Bruins are also tired of hearing the recruiting sites talk about a “top ranked Cal. player” going to AZ or OR like the instate schools must have screwed up. I mean, OU getting a a top TX recruit is really not a big deal. We only have 25 schollies, but you would think the Texas program was crumbling but what the pundits say.

by Wrangler86 on Aug 28, 2009 7:36 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

As far as a college game to watch on the west coast, you’re not going to get much better than this one. The only rivalry that even comes remotely close, IMHO, is the Cal/Stanford one, but the problem with that game is the Stanford fans generally don’t care. That and you have two legendary stadiums to choose from in the Collesium and Rose Bowl. From my experience the Rose Bowl is a billion times better to tailgate at, but get there VERY early (and leave enough to have a post-game BBQ while the crowd dissipates, you’ll enjoy it a lot more)

I generally lose my voice at any UCLA game I attend; the 2006 USC/UCLA game (not living in the past, it’s just the last one i’ve been able to go to since moving out of LA) was one of few occassions I’ve lost my hearing as well.

I think in general SoCal makes a great vacation trip… if you want to time it with some great football, this is the time. I’d wait a year or two for us to make it a good game ;)

by Harsha on Aug 30, 2009 9:30 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Advice to Bruins in order to beat USC

OK, here’s the plan. Watch tOSU game and then you do exactly the opposite of what tOSU does. I may be wrong, but I think this is the plan.

by Wrangler86 on Aug 28, 2009 7:41 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Excellent Advice, 86

I strongly doubt you’re wrong about that plan. We should have thought of it last year.

by ucla84 on Aug 30, 2009 6:48 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Longhorn enjoying the thread...

As a Longhorn living Palm Desert , CA I have wondered when I am going to finally adopt a Southern Cal school to root for. The USC accolades like those of T. Tebow get tiresome but I have had a hard time adopting UCLA as my team to root for as I was at the Route 66 game. I also recall the game the following year which also had a good outcome despite another UCLA beating because it was the coming out party for QB Major Applewhite. Regardless, I couldn’t help but cheer for the Bruins last year beating Tennessee and I have always been a Neuheisel fan. I am fired up about the Bruins coming back this year and beating USC.
Do I have to buy season tickets to see the match up next year or is there a way to get tickets for a single games?

by mtntrance on Aug 28, 2009 11:52 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs