Longhorns Around the Web
Each Friday, we'll be offering up a sampling of Longhorn- and Big 12-related sports coverage making its way around the Web.
- It's no secret the defense has been the saving grace for the Horns in recent weeks, and numbers are pretty staggering. Against the past four opponents, the Texas D has allowed only 29 total rushing yards. That's 7.9 yards per game, and 0.3 yards per carry. And the good times could easily continue tomorrow against Missouri, who has averaged only 79 rushing yards per game over its last three.
- Despite the disconcerting offensive output in recent weeks, Texas still appears to be a trip to Stillwater away from a spot on the BCS title game, and their likely opponent appears to reside in the SEC. But as we've learned in recent years, things don't usually pan out the way we think, from The New York Times.
- Losses last week by Virginia Tech and Ohio State, as well as USC's narrow victory at Notre Dame, provided a bit a insulation between Texas and the nation's primary one-loss contenders. As it stands in the first edition of this year's BCS rankings, Texas is cozily in third, behind both Florida and Alabama, and with a comfortable margin over the next undefeated (Boise State).
- This week's pick: Texas was just a touch off covering last week's 3.5-point spread against OU, and is favored by 12.5 this week against Missouri. Texas has taken the last five against the Tigers, by an average margin of 21, not to the mention presumptive chip-on-the-shoulder the offense should have after a week of getting blasted by the media. Once again, take Texas to cover.
- From Coach Mack Brown, on the second half of the season: "We talked a long time yesterday in our meeting that you are what you are. That if you want to make this run, then you have to be prepared each week. You have to be excited like it's the only game of the year each week, and if you have only six games left to put yourself in the position to win the conference championship and the championship game, then it's on you and it's on the coaches to make sure that we get ourselves focused and ready every day. We didn't play great on Saturday, but we played hard. You don't have to play great every game, but you do have to play hard."
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