I would never call Tech perennial underachievers. To his credit, Leach has done some incredible things with his offense. The defense has always lagged behind. People wonder why it took Tech so long to take care of the issue.

Leach’s true talent lies in the fact that he can convince any 17-18 year old kid to live in Lubbock. A younger relaltive was recruited by Tech. When he got home from the visit, he talked highly of Tech and it sounded like he might commit. I asked him if they acually took him off campus and let him go into the city of Lubbock. He said no. I told him to make another visit to the campus (unannounced), just so he could make sure that was the right place for him. He went back, spent time in Lubbock, and needless to say, committed elsewhere.

True. UT is one of the worst about scheduling soft non-conf. teams. I guess the rationale is go into conference play with a clean record.

As far as the conference goes, we need better teams/competition. Look at Baylor. That program is in very steep decline and they need help fast. A program like BU brings the rest of the conference down. I want Baylor to improve, it just helps the conference as a whole. Same feeling for Nebraska. The TV market goes where there is money. Lousy teams don’t pull the audience.

Are the SEC teams, as a whole, better than Big 12 teams? I doubt it. (Well, other than Baylor.)

Orson just missed the last number. He was in a big hurry this morning to get that last post up and ask for comments. Probably my purgatory for complaining about all the love of the darling SEC.

okiedomer–okay then, your fans are a bunch of fat, teefless daywalking goobers whose idea of a hand sign is “We’re No. 1″. How creative. Oh, and Toby Keith is a chumpspank.

Better?

Also, the more I think about this, for the non-SEC world, nothing but good can come from this new $2.25 B contract. For instance, Nebraska makes $3M per game ($24 per season, 8 games) and around $8 M from TV. If they, and the rest of the Big XII, can deliver a better product, the profit potential, say $20 M from the SEC, is far greater than stockpiling home games against San Diego State and Western Michigan. Problem is that the Big XII cannot get there with our internal matchups. So, if the fricken Big XII can get rid of the “one tough opponent, 3 gimmes” nonconference status quo and schedule tough competition in nonconf (for conservative-ness sake, say 2 tough noncon opponents vs 2 weak) , we can potentially gain far more in profit per team from TV than the $1.5 M loss (a one-time $3 M loss every two years) of one less home game. But everyone has to get on board, not just Colorado.

BTW, I love run-on sentences.

Hey, I threw in some insults. Loadholt? WV game? No comebacks?

Try to have some dignity and then this. See Orson’s latest post. Our QB looks like an idiot.

You are overrated this year. And 10-2? We’ll see.

And as far as the Defense goes, you actually need a good one to win. I know you have to score points, which TT does in spades, but you actually have to keep the other team from scoring more points to actually win a game. Leach has had issues with this concept in the past. I just don’t think you will turn it around in one year. Only my humble opinion…

It is nice to see the Dustbowl SECers have a conversation on this blog. Of course, what does Orson put up next? Alabama vs. Clemson. Figures.

you know what i really hate?

when you give a reasonable, rational assessment of the weaknesses of your football program – it really takes the fun out of this – in the future, please lay off the coherent thoughts and focus more on interyelling and irrational claims about the greatness of your team

Jerusalem on the Brazos…where a football coach’s career goes to die.

Yes, I’m aware we were 109th in passing defense last year as was the defensive coaching staff. We weren’t horrendous, but we dabbled in the vicinity. And I know you’ve heard this before, but it is one of those “rebuilding” years. We have two true freshmen starting in the secondary and now junior Ishie Oduegwu is out with an injury. But even he only had three career starts.

The offensive line line is very green, too, but not crappy. We only have one senior on the line, but we do have a lot of depth for the future. (No one has been arrested on any DUIs so at least we have that going for us. How much alcohol did it take to get Loadholt trashed? Man, he must have done some heavy drinking that evening.) I’m more excited about 2009 than I am this season. McCoy’s interceptions happened because of some of his own mistakes, but also because he needed better protection. His stats should improve this season.

Wonder if your golden-armed QB has improved his reads after that game with WV?

OU will have a good year this year. Enjoy. We may not beat you this year, but next…

#6: I agree. Even before Fozzie Bear went down, Texas didn’t have a running back that scared me.

#8: Since when has Tech EVER been “overrated”? We are constantly picked behind Aggy, and some years Orange Aggy, in preseason polls and publications. This is the first year in I don’t know how long that we’re getting some preseason mention other than “Tech will upset somebody, ’cause Lubbock sure is a tough place to play!”

#19: Leach figured it out after the infamous Okie St. game last year. He finally fired his good for nothing DC, and recruited D-Line heavily in the offseason. I’m not saying we’ll be the second coming of LSU, but we’ll be a lot better, and with our offense, that’s all you need.

As for the schedule, yes, OU is a monster. But I’m still waiting for KU (who lost their best player to the NFL, btw) to beat a quality team. We get you guys in Lubbock. And Aggy is our bitch. I think we win at least two of the KU-UT-Aggy threesome. Since we don’t play Colorado (Croom!) or Missouri this year, that translates to 10-2, and a possible BCS at-large slot. How would that be overrated?

http://www.barkingcarnival.com/sailor-ripley/the-barking-carnival-big-xii-2008-preview-state-of-the-union-collection

Actually, I don’t care.